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:
Two House races take center stage as conservative PAC launches multimillion-dollar Big Tech push
Trump’s GOP clout faces Arizona test with House majority, governor’s race at stake
DOJ opens probe into Harvard’s financial aid for alleged discrimination against American students
Bodycam catches Sunny Hostin invoking her legal chops as cops cite Harvard-grad son for trespassing
Trump says first call with new UK PM Burnham went ‘very well,’ pledges US support
Lindsey Graham’s Sister Announces She’s Running for Full Senate Term
Rand Paul releases docs that reveal FBI halted border inspection of virus researcher over Wuhan lab links
Johnson’s strategy to bypass Democrats’ SAVE Act blockade survives key vote, handing GOP big win
Socialist insurgents force moderate Democrats into high-risk showdown over must-hold races
Top media networks put on notice after refusing to air Trump’s primetime address: ‘Serious concerns’
5 dead in attempt to save a struggling swimmer in Ohio river
Repeat offender busted again less than 24 hours after release in brazen jewelry store theft case: police
Warren’s latest ‘kiss of death’ endorsement sparks mockery over disastrous political picks
Lee Gilley begs for Italian protection as alleged squatter targets home where pregnant wife was killed
Illegal immigrant who murdered Michigan woman sues Trump, demands $75M, public apology, US citizenship
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.
Two House races take center stage as conservative PAC launches multimillion-dollar Big Tech push
Trump’s GOP clout faces Arizona test with House majority, governor’s race at stake
DOJ opens probe into Harvard’s financial aid for alleged discrimination against American students
Bodycam catches Sunny Hostin invoking her legal chops as cops cite Harvard-grad son for trespassing
Trump says first call with new UK PM Burnham went ‘very well,’ pledges US support
Lindsey Graham’s Sister Announces She’s Running for Full Senate Term
Rand Paul releases docs that reveal FBI halted border inspection of virus researcher over Wuhan lab links
Johnson’s strategy to bypass Democrats’ SAVE Act blockade survives key vote, handing GOP big win
Socialist insurgents force moderate Democrats into high-risk showdown over must-hold races
Top media networks put on notice after refusing to air Trump’s primetime address: ‘Serious concerns’
5 dead in attempt to save a struggling swimmer in Ohio river
Repeat offender busted again less than 24 hours after release in brazen jewelry store theft case: police
Warren’s latest ‘kiss of death’ endorsement sparks mockery over disastrous political picks
Lee Gilley begs for Italian protection as alleged squatter targets home where pregnant wife was killed
Illegal immigrant who murdered Michigan woman sues Trump, demands $75M, public apology, US citizenshipBy 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.
