Tag: American Israel Public Affairs Committee

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back Tuesday at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) weeks after her remarks deemed anti-Semitic triggered controversy. Omar drew condemnation from members of both parties last month after she suggested in the tweet that AIPAC has been paying members of Congress to support Israel. She later apologized for the tweet — and for other comments — but also insisted on what she called “the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics.” The Minnesota Democrat responded Tuesday to Netanyahu in a tweet: “This from a man facing indictments for bribery and other crimes in three separate public corruption affairs. "It’s because America and Israel share a love of freedom and democracy. It’s because we cherish individual rights and the rule of law," Netanyahu told AIPAC, as USA Today reported. Netanyahu on Monday visited the White House, where President Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981. The document reverses more than a half-century of U.S. policy. Trump had previewed the move last week saying that it was time for the U.S. to take the step after 52 years of Israeli control of the strategic highlands on the border with Syria. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Was it anti-Semitism when Rep. Ilhan Omar wrote on Twitter that the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, pays politicians to support the Jewish state? That depends on whether it was mostly malice or simply ignorance that motivated her. The Minnesota Democrat, one of only two Muslim women in Congress, apologized and said she is “grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes.” She might have learned that it is insulting and racist to portray Jews as people who achieve their goals by amassing money and using it to buy influence. On the other hand, perhaps all Omar has learned is that it is dangerous in American politics to speak ill of AIPAC. The fact is that the lobby group does not make any political contributions. Yet it is undeniable that many members of AIPAC are significant players in the world of campaign donations. They believe they are rewarding and showing approval for politicians who share their concern for the safety and success of Israel — as an important ally of the United States. Perhaps Omar is unaware of how it works. That is part of American politics. Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics.