International News Opinons Politics

Bernie Sanders Goes to War Against Pro-Israel AIPAC, Accuses It of ‘Bigotry’

Linda Sarsour, center and Cornel West, right, listen as Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks in a roundtable discussion at the First Unitarian Congregational Society, Saturday, April 16, 2016, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

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:


Trump-Backed Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Primary After Green Energy Group Spent Big to Unseat Him
Violent Criminal Who Was Set Free on Plea Deal Arrested After Horrific Attacks on Random Women
‘No place like Mackinac’: Mike Rogers trolls Abdul el Sayed after hot mic moment emerges
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court
Missing Illinois kayakers found dead near strait called Death’s Door known for shipwrecks
Unearthed clip of El-Sayed revealing his ‘hate’ for iconic Michigan town sparks online firestorm: ‘Dark heart’
Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court ruling: DOJ
US Army offering defense firms ‘concierge access’ to test weapons at military ranges
Blanche Appears Poised for AG Confirmation as GOP Senator Announces Support
French right-wing media figure attacked by mob of antifa militants
10 Democrats and Rand Paul oppose Russia sanctions bill
Democrats Furious as Trump Signs Two Executive Orders to End Birth Tourism
Maryland’s lone congressional Republican blasts Moore’s redistricting push as alleged 2028 White House play
Fraternal Order of Police slams vulnerable House Democrat for using logo in constituent mail
Detroit-area couple accused of throwing explosive device with alarming 2-word message into neighbor’s yard

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.


Trump-Backed Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Primary After Green Energy Group Spent Big to Unseat Him
Violent Criminal Who Was Set Free on Plea Deal Arrested After Horrific Attacks on Random Women
‘No place like Mackinac’: Mike Rogers trolls Abdul el Sayed after hot mic moment emerges
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court
Missing Illinois kayakers found dead near strait called Death’s Door known for shipwrecks
Unearthed clip of El-Sayed revealing his ‘hate’ for iconic Michigan town sparks online firestorm: ‘Dark heart’
Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court ruling: DOJ
US Army offering defense firms ‘concierge access’ to test weapons at military ranges
Blanche Appears Poised for AG Confirmation as GOP Senator Announces Support
French right-wing media figure attacked by mob of antifa militants
10 Democrats and Rand Paul oppose Russia sanctions bill
Democrats Furious as Trump Signs Two Executive Orders to End Birth Tourism
Maryland’s lone congressional Republican blasts Moore’s redistricting push as alleged 2028 White House play
Fraternal Order of Police slams vulnerable House Democrat for using logo in constituent mail
Detroit-area couple accused of throwing explosive device with alarming 2-word message into neighbor’s yard

By 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.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

See also  ‘Oxferd Comma’ investigation being declassified by White House, with John Solomon briefing