‘Reject AIPAC’: US progressives join forces against pro-Israel lobby group Left-wing organisations launch a coalition to push back against AIPAC’s influence amid the US-backed war on Gaza. Protesters gather near the offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during a rally in New York City demanding a ceasefire and the end of Israel's attacks on Gaza, February 22, 2024 [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters] By Ali Harb Published On 11 Mar 2024 Washington, DC – Prominent progressive organisations in the United States are joining together to push back against the political and electoral influence of the country’s most powerful pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). More than 20 advocacy groups launched on Monday a formal coalition dubbed “Reject AIPAC” to organise against what they called AIPAC’s campaign to silence the “growing dissent in Congress” against Israel’s war on Gaza. The newly formed coalition cited reports that AIPAC is readying a $100m offensive through its electoral arms – AIPAC PAC and the United Democracy Project (UDP) – to take on a handful of progressives in Congress who called for a ceasefire in Gaza early in the war. “Rejecting AIPAC is a crucial step in putting voters back at the center of our democracy,” the coalition said in a statement. While individual candidates and organisations have previously criticised AIPAC’s involvement in US election campaigns, the coalition marks a collective and focused effort against the pro-Israel group. Reject AIPAC includes mainstream left-wing groups, such as Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party, as well as organisations focused on Palestinian rights, including the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action and the IfNotNow Movement. Beth Miller, political director at JVP Action, said the show of unity by progressive groups is “incredibly significant”. She added that the coalition represents “a unified response” by the US political left “to the threat that AIPAC poses both to the work that progressive groups are building here at home and to Palestinian lives in Palestine”. The coalition’s strategy AIPAC, which is officially non-partisan, advocates unconditional US support for Israel and pushes back against any criticism of Israeli governments and their human rights record. The group’s uncompromising advocacy for Israel has also persisted unabashedly as Israeli politics tilted further to the right, with the current government waging the war on Gaza often described as the most far-right cabinet in Israeli history. In the US, progressives say AIPAC’s targeting of left-wing candidates often advances right-wing priorities at home. The anti-AIPAC coalition’s strategy, as outlined by its launch statement, is to back progressives targeted by AIPAC with an ad campaign, lobby against the group’s agenda in Congress and call on Democrats to renounce it. And so, Reject AIPAC is urging politicians to sign a pledge against AIPAC support. “For decades, [AIPAC] has been a hawkish, warmongering, and bullying force in US politics,” the pledge reads. “AIPAC advocates for a US foreign policy directly at odds with human rights and international humanitarian law, and has supported an unconditional flow of US military funding and weapons to the Israeli government that have been used to support human rights violations against Palestinians.” Long known as one of the most powerful special interest groups in Washington, AIPAC had formally stayed out of direct electioneering until 2022, when it formed a political action committee and an accompanying so-called “super PAC” to thwart the election of Israel critics. AIPAC PAC and UDP focused on Democratic primaries in liberal-leaning congressional districts, where progressives are more likely to succeed. They poured millions of dollars into races across the country, blanketing the airwaves with attacks against candidates critical of Israel, often focusing on issues that have nothing to do with foreign policy – a tactic that the group’s opponents describe as dishonest. AIPAC did not return Al Jazeera’s request for comment by the time of publication. ‘Right-wing influence’ While AIPAC mostly focused on open seats in the last election cycle, it now appears to be gearing up to target incumbents, with key progressives in the House of Representatives in its crosshairs. Progressives have been decrying the brute force of AIPAC’s election spending, which is partly fuelled by right-wing donors who have backed former President Donald Trump and other conservatives. The pro-Israel lobby organisation has also endorsed dozens of Republicans in Congress, including many who refused to certify President Joe Biden’s election victory in 2020. Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for Justice Democrats, said many groups in the coalition have already been working against AIPAC and its “right-wing influence in Congress”. “We wanted to come together to not only be more organised but to organise the Democratic Party, its voters and elected officials to once and for all reject the disruptive influence of the Republican mega donor-backed AIPAC on the Democratic primary process and our government’s policy towards Palestine and Israel,” Andrabi told Al Jazeera. For a while, progressive Democrats had been on the offensive electorally. In 2018, Justice Democrats-backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, then 28 years old, defeated a top House Democrat who had been in office for nearly 20 years, shaking the party’s establishment. That same year, Muslim-American progressives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were also elected to Congress. So was Ayanna Pressley, completing the so-called “Squad” of left-wing congresswomen. Two years later, Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman also successfully primaried powerful incumbent Democrats, growing the progressive base in Congress. While focused on domestic US issues, like universal healthcare and economic, racial and environmental justice, that new wave of left-wing politicians also saw advocacy for Palestinian rights as part of its mandate. Both chambers of Congress have remained overwhelmingly pro-Israel, but the rise of vocal left-wing lawmakers appeared to have spurred AIPAC to change track in its approach to elections. ‘David versus Goliath’ In 2022, AIPAC would spend millions on a single House primary race, tilting the scales in favour of its candidates. Still, the group suffered defeats that year. For example, in Pennsylvania, candidate Summer Lee won against a massive late-spending onslaught by AIPAC backing her opponent, and she has gone on to become one of the most vocal supporters of Palestinian rights in Congress. Reject AIPAC has said it will launch a “seven-figure electoral defence campaign” to back candidates targeted by AIPAC, but that would amount to a fraction of AIPAC’s war chest, which is expected to be nine figures. Andrabi says progressives will never match AIPAC’s resources, but they can still win against the group. “This has always been an unfair fight. This has always been a David versus Goliath fight,” he told Al Jazeera. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth fighting. And that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to win. We’ve shown time and time again that we can take on AIPAC, and that we can beat them.” Andrabi added that the Democratic base overwhelmingly aligns with progressive positions in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and conditioning aid for Israel. Miller, of JVP Action, also said that Reject AIPAC will not be able to match AIPAC dollar for dollar. “AIPAC is funded by Republican billionaires and mega-donors,” she told Al Jazeera. “What we have on our side, though, is that what we are representing is what most American voters actually want.” But with Congress backing Israel on a bipartisan basis as US-supplied bombs continue to drop on Gaza amid hunger in the territory because of the Israeli blockade, some Palestinian rights advocates are growing disillusioned with the entire political system. Andrabi said that while apathy and frustration are understandable, advocates must use every tool at their disposal to push back against AIPAC’s influence and defend the human rights of Palestinians. “At a lot of times, it feels like all hope is lost, but in our mind, this is a project that is absolutely worth fighting for because if we don’t, their power only grows and continues to expand,” he said. Miller echoed his comments. “We cannot afford to step back from this. Right now, the US government is directly funding and fuelling the genocide of Palestinians,” she said. “We have to force demand and pressure change.” Source: Al Jazeera
Most western nations have declared Hamas to be a terrorist organization. It is long overdue for the U.N. to do the same. 'End your silence, declare Hamas a terror organization,' FM Israel Katz urges UNSC During the five months that have passed since the attack, the “UN never condemned nor disapproved these Hamas brutal crimes,” he said. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-791408
Türkiye will not stop talking about Israel's 'lengthy criminal record': Official 'Attempting to undermine Türkiye's might and achievements is, to say the least, a sign of weakness,' says communications director Diyar Guldogan | 12.03.2024 https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/tu...aels-lengthy-criminal-record-official/3161933 WASHINGTON Türkiye will continue to stand with Palestinians and reveal Israel's disinformation on the Gaza war to the public, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Monday "Israel's occupation of Gaza will eventually end. But we will not forget what happened today,” said Altun, speaking to the digital news platform Fokusplus. "We will bring Israel's atrocities, war crimes and genocide to the world community's attention whenever possible, and we will not stop talking about Israel's lengthy criminal record," he added. He said that Türkiye has been the voice of various oppressed regions, particularly Palestine, and has supported their rightful causes. Altun said it has been observed that Western media outlets do not refrain from resorting to disinformation regarding the region, particularly Türkiye. "Attempting to undermine Türkiye's might and achievements is, to say the least, a sign of weakness. The importance of helping the oppressed and speaking up for them cannot be overstated, just as the truth cannot be hidden. "And we do not expect anyone to appreciate us for taking care of the oppressed. On the contrary, we carry out the obligations that our history, faith, humanity and, most significantly, Türkiye's mission demand of us, and we shall continue to do the same," he added. Stating that disinformation threatens global security and peace, Altun underlined that it has become essential to address the issue not only at the national level but also through international cooperation. He said Israel has been using "disinformative content and fake information to justify the massacres” it has committed in Gaza since Oct. 7 and to win over international opinion. "However, we withstood the deluge of lies disseminated by Israel. We exposed the fake news and false information it was circulating. We have exposed approximately 200 grave disinformation attempts by Israel through the Palestine Special Disinformation Bulletins we have published. "We shared the truth with the international community. All of Israel's lies, which we exposed, were reflected in international public opinion and served as a reference for Israel's trial process," he said, adding several international media outlets that have been "acting under the influence of Israel and assumed the task of disseminating its lies have been compelled to reconsider their positions." In this process, Anadolu and Turkish broadcaster TRT are also working hard to uncover the realities on the ground and bring them to the forefront of global public opinion, Altun stressed. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed. More than 31,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,700 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s War on Truth Israel’s Ruthless Propaganda Campaign to Dehumanize Palestinians Jeremy Scahill February 7 2024 https://theintercept.com/2024/02/07/gaza-israel-netanyahu-propaganda-lies-palestinians/ Two weeks before Hamas commandos led a series of raids into Israel on October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu stood before an empty chamber at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The Israeli prime minister brandished a map of what he promised could be the “New Middle East.” It depicted a state of Israel that stretched continuously from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. On this map, Gaza and the West Bank were erased. Palestinians did not exist. “What a historic change for my country! You see, the land of Israel is situated on the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe,” Netanyahu bellowed at a handful of spectators in the large hall, nearly all of whom were his loyalists or underlings. “For centuries, my country was repeatedly invaded by empires passing through it in their campaigns of plunder and conquest elsewhere. But today, as we tear down walls of enmity, Israel can become a bridge of peace and prosperity between these continents.” Continues......
Israel invades Rafah, Biden will consider conditioning military aid to Israel: POLITICO 11:53, 12 March 2024 YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. US President Joe Biden will consider conditioning military aid to Israel if the country moves forward with a large-scale invasion of Rafah, POLITICO reports citing four U.S. officials with knowledge of internal administration thinking. Biden’s openness to taking this step reflects the extreme strains in his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected subtler efforts by the Biden administration to rein in his conduct of the war with Hamas, POLITICO writes. .................... It's pure bullshit! It reminds of Donald Trump catchwords; " Drain the swamp". Swamp creatures don't drain swamps. Zionists don't drain zionistic agendas.
I'm sure he will. Dude can't even protect the assault on our first amendment by a foreign power. https://www.elitetrader.com/et/threads/south-dakota-signs-anti-free-speech-bill-into-law.378729/