During a campaign event in New Hampshire, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts vowed to skip the annual AIPAC policy conference. Warren said she considers herself an ally of Israel, but not an ally of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
An audience member slandered the organization as an “unholy alliance” of Islamaphobes, anti-Semites, and white nationalists.
“I’m an American Jew and I’m terrified by the unholy alliance that AIPAC is forming with Islamaphobes and anti-Semites and white nationalists. And no Democrat should legitimize that kind of bigotry by attending their annual policy conference. I’m really grateful you skipped the AIPAC conference last year, so my question is if you’ll join me in committing to skip the AIPAC conference this march?” the audience member asked.
Warren immediately responded yes.
Tonight, Elizabeth Warren nodded along and smiled as a questioner slandered AIPAC as "an unholy alliance" of "Islamophobes," "anti-semites, and white nationalists" that perpetuates "bigotry"
Without blinking, Warren then agreed to boycott next year's AIPAC conference pic.twitter.com/U2MJ6DCTdZ
— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) February 7, 2020
Warren claims to be an American ally of Israel, specifically stating, “Israel has the right to defend itself.” However, her actions speak louder than her words. She refuses to applaud the work of President Trump on a two-state peace proposal, refuses to attend a policy conference with one of the most influential Israeli policy groups in America, and has yet to condemn the open antisemites in her party such as Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
On the other hand, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he was open to attending the 2020 AIPAC policy conference. According to the Jewish News Syndicate, Sanders told a Jewish student in Derry, New Hampshire he didn’t think it was on his agenda, but would consider going.
“I don’t think I am [going]. I don’t think it’s going to be on my schedule, but you know, I have no objection to going,” Sanders said during a town hall.
In 2016, Sanders declined to speak at AIPAC during his presidential campaign.
The annual AIPAC policy conference takes place on March 1-3. It overlaps with March 3, or “Super Tuesday,” a day in which 14 states, Democrats abroad, and the American Samoa cast their ballots in the Democratic primary.
