AIPAC Policy Conference 2015
Page 1
AIPAC Policy Conference 2015
Rabbi Steven Morgen, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, January 23, 2015
Two strange events took place yesterday in New York City.
The first was strange because it took place at the United Nations. For the first time in U.N. history, “prominent European ministers and diplomats gathered for the first-ever informal discussion on the rising tide of anti-Semitism around the world.” But don’t get too excited. According to the Jerusalem Post report, it was “Perhaps indicative of how much the UN [really] cares about anti-Semitism, [that] the conference was sparsely attended by member states.”[1]
The keynote speaker at this U.N. event was the “French philosopher Bernard Henri Lévy, who gave an impassioned speech tracing the history of anti-Semitism … touching on everything from blood libels and Christ killings to the present antipathy against Israel ...”[2]
There were, Levy [asserted], three key aspects to today’s antisemitism: the demonization of Israel as an illegitimate state, the denial of the Holocaust, and what he described as “the modern scourge of competitive victimhood,” whereby Jewish efforts to commemorate the Holocaust are scorned as an attempt to belittle the sufferings of other nations.
“The Jews are detestable [the anti-Semites argue] because they …support an evil illegitimate state [the State of Israel] – this is the anti-Zionist delirium of the merciless adversaries of the reestablishment of the Jews in their historical fatherland,” Levy asserted.
When anti-Zionism is combined with Holocaust denial and the accusation that Holocaust commemoration “stifles and overshadows” commemoration of persecutions elsewhere, Levy said, “we can be pretty sure of facing an explosion in which all Jews everywhere will be designated targets.”[3]
And that brings me to the second strange event that took place in New York City yesterday. The New York City Council was in session, and a group of spectators gathered in the gallery for an hour and a half or so. When the subject of discussion in the City Council turned to a proposal to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, all of a sudden a commotion erupted in the gallery. The spectators unfurled a Palestinian flag and began shouting and yelling: “Palestinian lives matter!” and hurling insults at council members who were planning on participating in a nine-day mission to Israel in February.[4]
As if in antagonistic response to Bernard Henri Lévy’s speech at the U.N. headquarters down the street, these protestors screamed outexclamations like “Don’t support genocide!” Genocide? Really? Whatever you may think about the Arab-Israel conflict, describing it as a “genocide” is outrageous! Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N., Ron Prosser, spelled out Levy’s comment about “anti-Zionist delirium” when he remarked at the same U.N. conference that, “This [past] summer, disguised as humanitarian concern, delegates … used [the U.N.] podium to … [accuse] Israel of behaving like Nazis.… It doesn’t matter how much you’re angered or frustrated by our conflict. There is no excuse for statements like that.”[5] That’s “anti-Zionist delirium!”
I mention these two incidents because they highlight a growing and pernicious threat to Israel and to the Jewish people around the world. The U.N. only held its unusual conference on anti-Semitism because of the well-publicized dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents around the world over the past couple of years. And even then, the conference was not so well attended, as I mentioned. At the same time, the so-called Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have also been achieving headlines more frequently, but now they apparently feel empowered to conduct their hate speech in city council chambers. That, I think, is a significant “ratcheting up” of their campaigns which until now mostly took place on college campuses.On campuses across this country they are bullying Jewish students and anyone who would dare to say something positive about Israel. They are disrupting speakers for Israel, while at the same time hosting a cadre of viciously anti-Israel speakers themselves.
In short, the world seems to be caught up in a new kind of mass psychosis. A strange world in which the most evil country on the planet happens to be the only Jewish State on the planet – a tiny country of about 8.5 million people.
And this is not really about how Israel treats the Arabs who live in the territories. If it were, you wouldn’t hear the kind of rhetoric you do: “genocide”, “crimes against humanity”, and “Nazis”!Or the chant that can always be heard at these rallies: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” That is not about the West Bank and Gaza. That is a call for the destruction of a sovereign country. What other country is the target of such demonstrations filled with such blind hatred and anger calling for its destruction? Why only the Jewish State?
And where is the media in all of this? I don’t have time to go into this tonight, but I will provide links to several articles written recently by journalists who have disclosed in great detail the process by which the media have been systematically co-opted to support the narrative that the Israelis are oppressing the Palestinians for no good reason, and that the Palestinians are not in any way to blame for their own plight.[6]
And I just read another article this past week, which I will also provide the link for, which details how European NGO’s are spending millions of dollars to promote a similar narrative for foreign visitors to Israel and the territories.[7]
Against these various well-funded propagandists, how will we be able to continue to provide more balanced, more rational, and more intelligent perspectives to the people who actually make the decisions in the United States about the true nature of the conflict and the real value that the State of Israel provides – not only to us here in this country, but to the free, western, democratic world, and even for the rest of the world at large? How will we be able to bring to the attention of Congress, the Senate and the Administration the amazing technologies that Israel is developing that are advancing medicine, agriculture, computer science, communication, law enforcement, and so many other areas of human endeavor? How will we be able to preserve the close relationship between the United States and Israel so that the United States will continue to promote fairness and common sense in an irrational international forum like the U.N.? How can we be assured that the United States will continue to support Israel’s security needs and interests which are so vital for its very existence?
The answer to all of these questions is one word: AIPAC.
AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the official lobby for promoting a strong and friendly relationship between the United States and Israel. When you hear about the “Israel Lobby,” the person speaking is most likely referring to AIPAC. AIPAC seeks to accomplish its mission in a variety of ways. The most public and by far the most spectacular demonstration of AIPAC’s success, however, is the annual Policy Conference which is held at the convention center in our nation’s capital. I have attended six AIPAC Policy Conferences, and each one has grown in numbers of attendees and in prestige. This year Rabbis Rosen and Strauss will be going to the conference, which will take place on March 1-3, 2015. (I am sitting this one out to “mind the store” here at Beth Yeshurun while they are away.) We are hoping to get the largest ever group of Beth Yeshurun members to attend – over 100. So if you can get away for a few days, I urge you to consider going.
You may have heard that Congress has invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak at a joint session of Congress around that time, and that Netanyahu will then also address the AIPAC Policy Conference. You may have also heard that there was some political wheeling and dealing involved in all of this, protocols not being followed, and President Obama not being happy about it. I am not going to get into the politics of this. It is a very poorly kept secret that President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu do not get along well. Whosever side you are on in this personal dispute (and personally I think there is plenty of blame to go around between the two of them) it is crucial for all of us to remember that Netanyahu will not be Prime Minister forever, and President Obama will not be President forever. The relationship between Israel and the United States is far too important– for both countries – to allow political shenanigans to interfere with that relationship.
AIPAC had nothing to do with the arrangements between Netanyahu and Congress. AIPAC is neither liberal nor conservative; neither Republican, nor Democrat. It is vital that we all prevent the U.S./Israel relationship from becoming a partisan tool of one party or the other. AIPAC is therefore explicitly and tenaciously non-partisan. Its sole mission is to educate Congress about the value of Israel for strategic, scientific, technological, medical, and other reasons, and to strengthen the U.S./Israel relationship.
Israel is facing a number of strategic threats today. Hamas, in the Gaza strip, is already reconstructing the tunnels Israel destroyed last summer, and is working on restocking its rocket and missile supply. (Right under the noses of the U.N. of course!) Hezbollah in Lebanon still has its stockpile of thousands and thousands of missiles that can reach most areas of Israel now.
Then there is the Palestinian Authority. Mahmoud Abbas, unable to agree to anything Israel has offered in the past, and apparently unable to come up with his own concrete suggestions for a peace agreement, is now trying to circumvent the entire peace process by peddling a quasi-statehood at the UN. Amazingly, the world seems to overlook the fact that not only did he turn down several generous offers from Israeli leaders, he has not actually made a specific offer for peace himself!For some reason, no one seems to see this as a possible sign that he is really not interested in peace after all – at least not on any terms he knows would be required of him and his people for a fair and just settlement. Instead, the international community seems quite willing to give him what he wants without negotiating any compromises on his part. This will necessarily lead to diplomatic and political challenges for Israel in the coming year.
But of course the most potent threat to Israel continues to be the threat that Iran will get a nuclear weapon. Everyone wants to see a successful agreement reached with Iran that will ensure that they do not obtain nuclear weapons. Everyone. Not just Israel. Not just the United States. But also Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and any other country with common sense. The Middle East is a tinderbox that is already on fire. Imagine the threat to international security that would be created once Iran gets a nuclear weapon. But it would not stop with Iran. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey would immediately seek nuclear weapons of their own. Does anyone seriously think that would make the world a safer place – for anyone? Iran must not be allowed to get nuclear weapons! Period!
In all of these areas – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian political monkey business, and Iran – having the most powerful country in the worldsupporting Israel’s right to exist in peace and security is surely essential.And that’s what AIPAC does!
At the Policy Conference there are countless break-out sessions with scholars and analysts who really understand the complex issues and can explain them to you in understandable language. Hundreds of government officials, congressman and Senators attend the conference and many of them speak at various forums. Last year 14,000 delegates attended the policy conference and this year it will be even bigger. And Tuesday afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit with Congressmen and Senators and to take part in lobbying our elected officials to take specific measures that will benefit the U.S./Israel relationship. These specific measures have widespread, bi-partisan support. But we still need to go to Congress to make the case for these measures, and to demonstrate that AIPAC does indeed represent a wide spectrum of American voters.
And AIPAC does represent a wide spectrum of American voters. Over the last decade or more, AIPAC has been reaching out to African-Americans, Latinos, various Christian groups, high school and college student government leaders (many of whom are not Jewish), and other groups. AIPAC has demonstrated to all of these groups that Israel is not the demonic monster that the hate mongers fantasize it is.
It is really heart-warming and uplifting to see so many people (of such diverse backgrounds and such a wide age range) come to the nation’s Capital to celebrate the existence of the Jewish State. And Jews from all denominations (including hundreds of rabbis and cantors) attend the Policy Conference as well. For a few days we put aside our own partisan politics and our own denominational disputes and actually behave like we really areAm Echad – One People. It is inspiring!
Thank God that we live in a wonderful democracy that allows us to stand up for what we believe is in the best interests of our country, and in the best interests of the Jewish State.
We Jews do not control the world, as the anti-Semites would have the world believe. But we do exercise our American right to petition our elected officials and to explain to them why it is in America’s interest to support the Jewish State, Israel. Thank God we can. Thank God America cares. Thank God for the wisdom, insights, determination, and talents that the leaders of AIPAC bring to their efforts!
Shabbat Shalom.
[1] Maya Shwayder,“UN holds first conference on anti-Semitism” Jerusalem Post, January 22, 12015
[2]Id.
[3] Cohen, “French Philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy Denounces ‘Delirium of Anti-Zionism’ Before UN General Assembly”, The Algemeiner, January 22, 2015
[4] Information summarized here is taken from the following sources: “Jewish Voice for Peace Disrupts Holocaust MemorialResolution” The Mike Report, January 22, 2015 (includes a screen shot of Councilman David Greenfield’s twitter which indicates the spectators had waited an hour and half before they started their “protest”); Erin Durkin, “Pro-Palestinian activists disrupt City Council meeting” New York Daily News,January 22, 2015; and Cohen, “‘What You Saw Here Today Was Naked, Blind Antisemitism:’ NYC Councilman Slams Palestine Activists Who Disrupted Auschwitz Commemoration Debate (VIDEO),” January 22, 2015
[5]Ben Cohen, “French Philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy Denounces ‘Delirium of Anti-Zionism’ Before UN General Assembly”, supra
[6] Lowenthal Marcus, “Former AP Reporter: I Didn’t Leave Journalism, It Left Me”, The Jewish Press, December 16th, 2014; Friedman, “What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel, The Atlantic, November 30, 2014; Friedman, “An Insider’s Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth,” Tablet, August 26, 2014; Matti Friedman, “Ongoing Controversy Around ‘The Most Important Story on Earth’,” Tablet, September 16, 2014, Richard Behar, “The Media Intifada: Bad Math, Ugly Truths About New York Times in Israel-Hamas War,” Forbes, August 21, 2014; Jonathan S. Tobin, “All the “Anti-Israel News That Fits”, Commentary, August 25, 2014; Seth Mandel, “Bias, Blood Libels, and the Media’s Race to the Bottom,” Commentary, August 25, 2014; Richard Landes, “The Media’s Role in Hamas’ War Strategy,” The American Interest, August 5, 2014.
[7] “Why European NGO's and the Red Cross Are Real Enemies in Israel”, The Jewish Daily Forward, January 18, 2015