Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) denounced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Sunday evening, accusing the pro-Israel organization of promoting “bigotry.”
It was not clear what he meant, and he did not specify any examples of what he was talking about.
Only one Democratic candidate for president — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has since dropped out of the race — attended AIPAC’s annual conference last year, which many observers interpreted as a sign of the anti-Israel drift of the party.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a Sanders surrogate, specifically singled out AIPAC last year when she made the antisemitic claim that members of Congress were being paid off to support Israel.
Sanders posted the following in a Twitter thread on Sunday:
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The Israeli people have the right to live in peace and security. So do the Palestinian people. I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason I will not attend their conference.
As president, I will support the right of both Israelis and Palestinians and do everything possible to bring peace and security to the region.
AIPAC responded with a tweet and a statement of its own:
Senator Sanders has never attended our conference and that is evident from his outrageous comment. In fact, many of his own Senate and House Democratic colleagues and leaders speak from our platform to the over 18,000 Americans from widely diverse backgrounds — Democrats, Republicans, Jews, Christians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, progressives, Veterans, students, members of the LGBTQ+ community — who participate in the conference to proclaim their support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Israel’s Arab parties choose between ‘bad and even worse’ as they back Gadi Eisenkot over Netanyahu to form government
Ten-term Republican congressman loses to Shannon Taylor in Virginia’s 1st District
LePage’s Maine House race heads to ranked-choice voting
Breaking: UK Court Convicts Russell Brand of Rape, Star is Headed to Prison
Harmeet Dhillon resigns as Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights: sources
Alito reiterates he’s not retiring, is committed through end of current Supreme Court term
Body Language Expert Watched El-Sayed’s Smiley Victory Speech, Suggests Revenge Lurked Underneath
Khanna touts new draft committee for likely 2028 presidential bid: ‘I’m honored’
Watch: El-Sayed Supporters Celebrate Win with a Chant That Reveals Their True Priorities
Republican AGs stand ready as ‘last line of defense’ against leftist policies after dismal midterms for party
Watch: CNN Anchor Slips Up and Makes a Telling Admission While Gleefully Reporting Midterm Results
Ted Cruz delivers scathing assessment after far-left Dems sweep midterms and more top headlines
White House official details what gets Trump’s attention in intelligence briefings
Democrats already recruiting oversight staff as left-leaning law firms gear up for Trump investigations
17 years after Fort Hood massacre, victims’ families grapple with gunman’s looming executionBy engaging in such an odious attack on this mainstream, bipartisan American political event, Senator Sanders is insulting his very own colleagues and the millions of Americans who stand with Israel. Truly shameful.
This year’s AIPAC conference is scheduled for the first few days of March.
Story cited here.
