“If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that some of that $3.8 billion should go right now into humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
“If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that some of that $3.8 billion should go right now into humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
Leading US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has announced on Sunday that he will skip the AIPAC conference for this year, stating that he cannot support a platform that openly expresses bigotry against the rights of the Palestinian people. His decision has come as a shock, shaking the historic bipartisan support for the pro-Israel lobby.
Making it clear that he was skipping the conference for political, and not scheduling reasons, Sanders stated:
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.”
Coming only two days after becoming the undisputed front-runner in the Democratic race after winning in the Nevada caucuses, Sanders stated that he will do “everything possible” to help bring a tangible solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict while respecting both sides. In last October, Sanders also made it clear that he would even impose conditions on US aid to Israel in order to pressure them to stop the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands:
If you want military aid, you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that some of that $3.8 billion should go right now into humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
AIPAC, which stands for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, and advocates strict pro-Israel policies to Congress and the Executive Branch of US government. Since Sanders made his statement and stance, AIPAC has launched a campaign against him, calling it “truly shameful” that “Senator Sanders is insulting his very own colleagues and the millions of Americans who stand with Israel”.
Only last month, AIPAC also drew criticism when it compared Democratic legislators to the Islamic State terrorist group because of the supposed opposition to Israel’s policies over Palestine. As AIPAC continues to dictate US policies in Palestine, supporting Israel’s colonialist campaign against Palestinian human rights, Democratic candidates and politicians must continue to call out the lobbying group’s support for Israel’s apartheid regime.
As US presidential campaigns continue to galvanise the country, Senator Sanders has come first in the Democratic contests in not only Nevada but also New Hampshire, and has won the popular vote in Iowa. He continues to gain the support of prominent human rights activists and politicians such as Ilhan Omar and Linda Sarsour, despite the American mainstream media outlets’ attempt at ignoring his massive on-the-ground success.
