AIPAC Accuses ‘Radicals in the Democratic Party’ of Promoting anti-Semitism

WASHINGTON – The American Israel Public Affairs Committee sponsored a Facebook ad last week blaming "radicals in the Democratic Party" of promoting anti-Semitism, and called on Americans not to abandon Israel, their "only Democratic ally in the Middle East."

The ad, which leads to a petition against reducing U.S. military aid to Israel, is currently listed as inactive and was viewed by some 30,000 people, according to Facebook’s publicly available data.

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– Haaretz Weekly Ep. 60

Netanyahu’s ‘annexation nation’ is ready to strike again. ListenHaaretz Weekly Ep. 60

"The radicals in the Democratic Party are pushing their anti-Semitic and anti-Israel policies down the throats of the American people. America should never abandon its only democratic ally in the Middle East. Sign the letter to Democrats in Congress – don’t abandon Israel!" the leading U.S. pro-Israel lobby wrote in the ad.

The most outspoken Democratic presidential hopeful on the issue of U.S. military aid to Israel is Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish and has for months been saying that the assistance should be conditioned on a change in Israeli policy toward the Palestinians. The Vermont senator has said he would “absolutely” be willing to use the aid as leverage in the U.S.-Israel relationship. Over the summer, Sanders said at an event in New Hampshire that Washington should use that leverage “in order to end the racism we have recently seen in Israel.”

In October 2019 Elizabeth Warren, another leading Democratic presidential contender, was asked about withholding aid to Israel if the Israeli government continued building settlements in the West Bank and moving away from a two-state solution, to which she replied that “all options are on the table.”

When Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was asked about this issue, he reiterated his position that Israeli annexations in the West Bank could lead to cuts in U.S. security assistance.

As of today, the United States provides Israel $3.8 billion annually as part of an agreement between the two countries that was negotiated and signed by Barack Obama.