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:


EXCLUSIVE: Supreme Court prayer grotto case could impact ‘every single zoning law’ in America, attorney says
‘Conspiracy’ Speculation Erupts After Botched Execution of Christa Pike: ‘There’s No Way’
Rerun of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ Leads to Arrest in Cold Case That Haunted Detectives for Decades
Mamdani pledges millions to combat antisemitism while leaving key question unresolved
Sleeper Senate race emerges as unexpected headache for Republicans ahead of midterms
Fox News Poll: Turek, Hinson in close Iowa Senate race
Watch: Comedian Pete Davidson Calls Out Mamdani on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ – Right Before the Mayor Walks Onstage
GOP Senator Who Had a Party for His Dog Last Week Complains ICE Is ‘Dragging People Away’
Illinois officials released more than 500 criminal immigrants despite ICE detainers, House GOP report finds
France gripped by violent student riots attributed to far-left instigation
Lindsay Clancy’s motion for a finding of not guilty denied weeks after mistrial
Christa Pike’s attorneys say she’s in critical condition after botched lethal injections
Reporter’s Notebook: Congress dodged a fall shutdown, but the real fight looms
British authorities arrest dual national on suspicion of ‘preparation of terrorist acts’ in RAF Fairford case
Breaking: Execution of TN Woman Goes Bad: 2 Lethal Injections Leave Subject Snoring, Very Much Alive

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.


EXCLUSIVE: Supreme Court prayer grotto case could impact ‘every single zoning law’ in America, attorney says
‘Conspiracy’ Speculation Erupts After Botched Execution of Christa Pike: ‘There’s No Way’
Rerun of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ Leads to Arrest in Cold Case That Haunted Detectives for Decades
Mamdani pledges millions to combat antisemitism while leaving key question unresolved
Sleeper Senate race emerges as unexpected headache for Republicans ahead of midterms
Fox News Poll: Turek, Hinson in close Iowa Senate race
Watch: Comedian Pete Davidson Calls Out Mamdani on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ – Right Before the Mayor Walks Onstage
GOP Senator Who Had a Party for His Dog Last Week Complains ICE Is ‘Dragging People Away’
Illinois officials released more than 500 criminal immigrants despite ICE detainers, House GOP report finds
France gripped by violent student riots attributed to far-left instigation
Lindsay Clancy’s motion for a finding of not guilty denied weeks after mistrial
Christa Pike’s attorneys say she’s in critical condition after botched lethal injections
Reporter’s Notebook: Congress dodged a fall shutdown, but the real fight looms
British authorities arrest dual national on suspicion of ‘preparation of terrorist acts’ in RAF Fairford case
Breaking: Execution of TN Woman Goes Bad: 2 Lethal Injections Leave Subject Snoring, Very Much Alive

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.

See also  Illinois officials released more than 500 criminal immigrants despite ICE detainers, House GOP report finds

Story cited here.

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