MoveOn asks 2020 Dems to boycott AIPAC

[yankeedoodle]

Third rail no more? MoveOn asks 2020 Dems to boycott AIPAC
https://www.rt.com/usa/454350-moveon-asks-democrats-boycott-aipac/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Influential progressive activist group MoveOn.org has a favor to ask 2020's army of Democratic presidential candidates: steer clear of the AIPAC conference. Do not pass Go; do not collect hefty campaign checks.

The activist organization with ties to controversial financier George Soros called on the growing swarm of Democratic candidates to boycott the pro-Israeli lobbyist conference, long considered a rite of passage for American politicians. While AIPAC itself only spent about $3.5 million lobbying last year, its influence lies in matching wealthy donors with favored candidates, "bundling" enormous sums to those it believes will do the most to advance Israel's aims stateside.

MoveOn listed four reasons to stay away from AIPAC, including its efforts to defeat the Iran deal – which have found a sympathetic ear in President Donald Trump – plus its Islamophobia, its refusal to condemn Republican anti-Semitism, and its tacit acceptance of Israel's long history of alleged war crimes, as well as the increasingly overt racism of the Jewish state.

The group specifically attacked Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for forging an alliance between his right-wing Likud Party and the even-further-right Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power Party. Citing the faction's links to the Kach party, which the State Department has declared a terrorist organization and Israel has banned entirely, MoveOn slammed Netanyahu for cozying up to the "Israeli KKK."

While mostly symbolic, MoveOn's boycott request points to a seismic shift in American politics, with the issue once considered the "third rail" of American politics – criticizing or even acknowledging the Israeli lobby – now becoming an asset.

Though some felt the candidates would choose AIPAC's cash over MoveOn's endorsement.

Others accused the Democratic party, MoveOn, or both of anti-Semitism...and one clever Tweeter thought to check the roster for AIPAC's 'Connected for Good' conference, which lists none of the 2020 candidates – though it does include some of the loudest voices to condemn anti-Semitism, real or imagined, in the Democratic Party, including Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Elizabeth Cheney (R-WY).

While AIPAC has always boasted of its bipartisan influence, Democratic support for Israel is at historic lows even as Republicans remain staunchly pro-Zionist. With Netanyahu clinging closer than ever to Trump in the face of bribery scandal probes and looming elections, Democrats are finding themselves more alienated than ever from the Israeli government. A recent UN resolution condemning the Israeli sniping of unarmed Palestinian protesters has only strained the relationship further, and the willingness of freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to criticize the lobby's influence in US politics has emboldened others in the party to speak up.

Even if they don't keep the candidates away from the financial feeding frenzy, MoveOn's demands will "give a clear insight to 2020 candidates on where their base stands instead of prioritizing lobbying groups and policy people," said MoveOn campaign director Iram Ali.

[yankeedoodle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFeT0cqHycs&t=2s




Sanders, Warren, Harris, and O'Rourke take a stand on racism at AIPAC that Schumer and Pelosi ignore
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/03/sanders-orourke-schumer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sanders-orourke-schumer




Israel, anti-Semitism and 2020 fight on display as AIPAC gathers
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/21/israel-anti-semitism-aipac-2020-1231570
The annual conference opens amid a stormy moment in U.S.-Israel relations.




2020 Democrats are dropping like flies from pro-Israel AIPAC conference
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/8xyj5a/2020-democrats-are-dropping-like-flies-from-pro-israel-aipac-conference

[maz]

If we all hadn't been banned from Twitter and YouTube, we'd be able to take control of this narrative.

[yankeedoodle]

Fucking jews are full of tricks.  They know AIPAC is becoming controversial, so, instead of having Democrat candidates grovel at their meetings, where they can be photographed, they are visiting the candidates, so they can grovel in the privacy of their homes or offices.

Kamala Harris skips AIPAC conference — but AIPAC comes to her!
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/03/kamala-harris-conference/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kamala-harris-conference

Last Thursday Senator Kamala Harris accepted the challenge from progressive groups and said she was skipping the AIPAC conference. Jewish Voice for Peace had slammed Benjamin Netanyahu's racism, Israeli war crimes, the killings of Palestinian protesters– and MoveOn brought in AIPAC's opposition to the Iran deal– in making the demand of US politicians especially those running for president.

Well, Harris is a very pragmatic politician, and the conference came to her yesterday! She met leading AIPAC officials at her office and then tweeted her devoted support to Israel.

And AIPAC promptly took credit for her coming to the conference!

We are delighted that as part of AIPAC Policy Conference our leadership met with @SenKamalaHarris who reiterated her support for the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. #AIPAC2019

Here's Harris's tweet:

https://twitter.com/SenKamalaHarris/status/1110301531306409986

The meeting drew sharp criticism on twitter and the San Francisco press highlighted Harris's hypocrisy.

"As @AIPAC literally piles on Ilhan Omar and tears her down, then starts blasting AOC and others, Kamala Harris doubles down her support of them. Disturbing," activist Shaun King tweeted.

I'd point out that AIPAC president Mort Fridman, who is at Harris's left in the foto, earlier that day had introduced Mike Pence at AIPAC with fulsome praise.

Mike Pence greeted by AIPAC president Mort Fridman, hours before Fridman visited Kamala Harris.

Vice president Mike Pence has demonstrated a profound love for the Jewish state and at this moment with sSrael under attack, we are proud to be joined by a leader who has always stood with Israel in her times of need and always defended her right to defend herself... We are greatly appreciative of all that the Trump administration has done in the last year to strengthen the US Israel relationship.

Fridman praised the pullout from the Iran deal, the moving of the embassy to Jerusalem, "the eternal capital of Israel," and hailed Donald Trump, too.

Odd that Kamala Harris wants to give this sort of person sick access.

Harris has often met with AIPAC before. She said recently she supports Israel because of the civil rights movement in the U.S. South.

Last year she said that Israel made the desert bloom, and she helped out as a girl. The year before that, she proudly met the rightwing prime minister who race-baits Arabs.

Sen. Kamala Harris with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. 2017, from twitter.

Note that Harris in tweeting her meeting yesterday talks about the need to fight antisemitism and Israel's right to defend itself:

Great to meet today in my office with California AIPAC leaders to discuss the need for a strong U.S.-Israel alliance, the right of Israel to defend itself, and my commitment to combat anti-Semitism in our country and around the world.

But she has nothing to say about Palestinian rights or bigotry against them. That doesn't exist. Israel has a right to defend itself, but Palestinians have no such right. Who would even think to ask if they do?