Friends,
An impressive show of force from AIPAC this week included an unprecedented break from its previously stated policy: Full support for the policies of the Israeli government. We've seen this stand whittled away but never has Israel been so blatantly provoked as this week when its executive director called for a palestinian state to be established.
This departure from support for Israel's democratically elected government is not a glitch in policy, but a wake up call for all of us: AIPAC may be a powerful voice on the Hill but it is not one that consistently can be relied on to reflect the wishes of the people of Israel. PM Netanyahu is the longest-serving leader in our history, with record-breaking support in elections here.
We applaud those who support Israel. We are grateful to those who speak out against bias, mistruths and distorted reports. We have enough detractors in this world that we know to appreciate those who stand up for what's right. This should not be confused with blanket support for positions taken by AIPAC, a leading US voice for Israel. The organization that was slow to take up the Iran case, ignored the push for recognition of Jerusalem and now calls for peace plans that contradict the Israeli government - must be careful when it poses as the pro-Israel voice in the US. We are grateful for all they do, and take with a grain of salt the recent week-long gathering that provided some, not all, food for thought on issues pertinent for Israel today. See this and other reports on Israeli government ministers trying to fill in what AIPAC has left out.
In a meeting with AIPAC donors and American political leaders this week, Israel's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stressed the importance of mainstreaming what is wrongly referred to as 'settler' positions, bringing them further into the political fold. It’s “very important that the AIPAC delegation also tour these areas of Israel, including on AIPAC missions to Israel; such trips are the bread and butter of AIPAC’s educational non-profit arm, as AIPAC claims 62 percent of sitting members of Congress have visited Israel on such trips." Minister Shaked has hosted our Yes! Israel missions and has been very supportive of our efforts to bring all issues, in person and without borders or predisposition. At the meeting Shaked said, she “explained that the Israeli government, the Jewish Home and much of the Likud parties think that a Palestinian state will be a failed state, and Judea and Samaria is part of our homeland."