Topics: Bernie Sanders, AIPAC, Israel, Palestine, Elections 2016, Elections News, News, Politics News
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)(Credit: AP)Bernie Sanders will be the only presidential candidate to skip the 2016 policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the most influential pro-Israel group in the U.S.
The Vermont senator sent a letter to AIPAC President Robert Cohen on Friday, confirming that he will not be attending the conference. He said he will “be traveling throughout the West and the campaign schedule that we have prevents me from attending.”
“Since AIPAC has chosen not to permit candidates to address the conference remotely, the best that I can do is to send you a copy of the remarks that I would have given if I was able to attend,” Sanders wrote, adding that he should have the speech prepared for Monday. “Any help that you could give us in getting those remarks out to your members would be much appreciated,” he added.
Prominent journalist Max Blumenthal, who specializes in Israel-Palestine, created a petition calling on Sanders to reject AIPAC’s invitation to its conference.
“As the main arm of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, AIPAC has sworn to promote the racist, militaristic, and anti-democratic policies of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history,” Blumenthal wrote in a description accompanying the petition. “Its conference this year will feature Islamophobes, anti-immigrant activists, and religious extremists.”
“With his promise to seek a “level playing field” on Israel-Palestine, Bernie does not belong on the same stage as these figures,” Blumenthal added.
As of Friday, the petition had more than 5,000 signatures. Musician Roger Waters, formerly of band Pink Floyd, endorsed it. Waters has established himself as a leading activist on behalf of Palestinian human rights.
The group RootsAction also disseminated the petition, and got an additional 14,000 signatures.
Salon reached out to Blumenthal, who characterized Sanders’ decision as a victory for the Palestinian human rights movement.
He emphasized the importance of garnering almost 20,000 petitions in a brief period of time, “with little media coverage, and on an issue that has been little-discussed in the debates.”
“Regardless of any spin he’s offering, I think Sanders recognized that sharing a stage with bigots at AIPAC and apartheid lobbyists would be anathema to his hardcore base of support,” Blumenthal explained.
“This is a demonstration of the growing grassroots impact of Palestine solidarity and a sign of things to come in the future: self-styled progressive politicians will be punished for supporting Israeli apartheid,” he added.
The Sanders campaign did not say whether it was responding to the petition.
Read it on Salon
