aipac

Will Israel’s treatment of Omar and Tlaib finally wake Democrats up?

Now that Israel has banned entry to Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, will Democrats affirm the right to boycott and hold Israel’s feet to the fire? Five takeaways. 1. Don’t let the headlines fool you: neither Ilhan Omar nor Rashida Tlaib had any intention of visiting Israel when they announced their trip to the region.…

By Haggai Matar August 15, 2019

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the AIPAC Conference in Washington DC, on March 6, 2018. (Haim Zach/GPO)

You have the power to stop apartheid: An open letter to AIPAC

American Jews, who play such a central role in what happens in Israel, can put an end to the oppression of Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line. But only if they tell Israelis that enough is enough. By Marzuq al-Halabi Dear AIPAC leaders, In one of his most famous poems, “Think of Others,” Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish…

By +972 Magazine March 22, 2019

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with British Prime Minister Teresa May in London, England, June 6, 2018. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Why won’t Jewish leaders condemn Netanyahu’s racism?

The silence of our communal leaders signals that remaining silent in the face of prejudice is legitimate, as long as it isn’t happening to Jews. By Emily Hilton One of the first things we are taught when as children is that racism is wrong, and that when we see it, we must call it out. As Jews,…

By +972 Magazine March 13, 2019

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Members of Jewish-American anti-occupation group IfNotNow protest Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, Washington D.C., May 14, 2018. (Gili Getz)

Fed up with myths, these American Jews are challenging their Israel education

They grew up on the myths of a heroic Jewish state, joined Zionist organizations, and learned the talking points. But something along the way made them question everything. By Tom Pessah Some of the strangest encounters I had in the years I spent living and studying in the United States were with American Jews. I often felt…

By +972 Magazine January 13, 2019

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the AIPAC Conference in Washington D.C. on March 6, 2018. (Haim Zach/GPO)

New Al Jazeera film uncovers ‘rotting foundation’ of U.S. Israel lobby

A new Al Jazeera documentary provides a sobering look at a lobby that continues to defend Israel’s control of Palestinian lives, despite the many Americans turning against it. By Antony Loewenstein There’s a moment near the end of the four-part, Al Jazeera documentary on the U.S. Israel lobby — censored by its own network due to pressure from…

By +972 Magazine November 1, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the AIPAC Conference in Washington DC, on March 6, 2018. (Haim Zach/GPO)

American Jewish anti-occupation advocacy needs to go global

The Jewish community’s traditional unconditional support for Israel’s occupation is rapidly changing. Now is the time to present an alternative to those who justify a violent military regime. By Frima (Merphie) Bubis Two months after the U.S. Embassy officially moved to Jerusalem, the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, hosted AIPAC, America’s largest pro-Israel lobby…

By +972 Magazine July 6, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC, US, on March 2, 2015. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

At AIPAC, Israel’s problems went unmentioned

Although AIPAC activists regularly acknowledge that, of course, Israel is not perfect, it felt like the people there were cheering and stomping for a different country. AIPAC’s annual policy conference ended on Tuesday to thunderous applause for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. For three days, the conference was a seamless marriage of the highest level technology…

By Dahlia Scheindlin March 7, 2018

Senator Chuck Schumer speaks to the 2018 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC, March 5, 2018. (Courtesy of AIPAC)

Chuck Schumer thinks there’s no peace because Palestinians don’t believe in Torah

Which begs the question, instead of pointless negotiations, should Washington embark on a mass proselytizing program? Senator Chuck Schumer, arguably the top ranking Democrat in the United States right now, believes that there is no peace between Israel and Palestine because — well, because the Palestinians don’t believe in the Torah. Speaking at the AIPAC…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man March 7, 2018

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends a PLO executive committee meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, August 22, 2015. (Flash90)

The Palestinian leadership must speak directly — to Americans

As long as Israel holds unparalleled sway in Washington, no progress toward Palestinian rights will be achieved. But that needn’t be the end of the story. By James J. Zogby Three decades ago, I was invited to address a Palestinian American audience on the work that was needed to change American policy toward Palestinian rights.…

By +972 Magazine September 4, 2017

A woman carries a sign in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, October 11, 2011 (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

America’s BDS law is an attack on far more than free speech

The world long ago made clear to the Palestinians that violence is not a legitimate path for seeking independence. Now Congress is trying to criminalize one of the few nonviolent tools left. A pair of laws currently making their way through the United States Congress would impose criminal sanctions on Americans who support an economic…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man July 21, 2017

Members of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements hold torah scrolls during a mixed men and women prayer at the public square in front of the Western Wall, in Jerusalem's Old City, on May 18, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The lie at the heart of the Jewish American consensus

By choosing to engage on specific issues of Israeli policy while ignoring the fate of Palestinians, the Jewish American establishment has effectively sided with perpetuating the occupation. For years, the Jewish American establishment has been able to convince the world, and itself, that it does not directly meddle in internal Israeli affairs — a declaration most commonly used…

By Edo Konrad June 30, 2017

IfNotNow activists form a human chain outside the Washington Convention Center to protest the annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Washington D.C., March 26, 2017. (Gili Getz)

AIPAC protests showed American-Jewish activism at a crossroads

Recent American Jewish protests marked an important step in interconnected, cross-border resistance to occupation and oppression. But in order to grow, the organizers must reach out to Palestinians — and to their elders. By Samuel Molnar On the last Sunday of March, 1,000 Jews, led by Jewish-American anti-occupation group IfNotNow, marched to the annual conference…

By +972 Magazine March 31, 2017

Members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) beat a 55-year-old Palestinian man outside the AIPAC convention in Washington D.C., March 26, 2017. (Screenshot)

WATCH: Jewish Defense League activists beat Palestinian-American at AIPAC

Wearing shirts and carrying flags bearing insignia of the JDL, once declared a terrorist organization, the violent men and women also attacked left-wing Jewish activists. At least one was arrested. Members of the Jewish Defense League severely beat a 55-year old Palestinian American man and assaulted several American Jewish activists with IfNotNow outside the AIPAC…

By Mairav Zonszein March 29, 2017