Thousands CALL on Bernie Sanders to REJECT AIPAC's Invitation to SPEAK Alongside Trump and Clinton

[Segami]

Thousands are urging 2016 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders to refuse an invitation from the right-wing American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to speak at its upcoming policy conference in Washington, DC.

“As the main arm of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, AIPAC has sworn to promote the racist, militaristic, and anti-democratic policies of the most right-wing government in Israel's history,” states a petition, which was created by AlterNet senior editor Max Blumenthal and has garnered 4,000 signatures in just four days. “Its conference this year will feature Islamophobes, anti-immigrant activists, and religious extremists.”

“With his promise to seek a 'level playing field' on Israel-Palestine, Bernie does not belong on the same stage as these figures,” continues the petition, whose prominent signatories include Roger Waters, well-known musician and co-founder of Pink Floyd. Israeli activist and author Miko Peled, Palestinian-American civil rights campaigner and commentator Linda Sarsour and scores of other leading campaigners for Palestinian human rights have lent their names to the initiative.

AIPAC invited every presidential candidate to speak at the conference, slated to take place March 20 through 22. Hillary Clinton was the first to confirm, with Donald Trump following closely behind her. Clinton has made her ardent support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a cornerstone of her campaign – and vowed in a letter to mega-donor media mogul Haim Saban to crush the grassroots BDS movement calling for the boycott, divestment and sanctioning of Israel.

A growing number of advocates for Palestinian rights are among Sanders’ supporters, including Waters, Sarsour, and writer Kumars Salehi, who recently registered his concern with Clinton, “who grinned from ear to ear in photo-ops with Netanyahu and claimed Palestinians in Gaza are not trapped by Israel’s blockade so much as they are “trapped by their leadership.”


cont'

http://www.alternet.org/grayzone-project/thousands-call-bernie-sanders-reject-aipacs-invitation-speak-alongside-trump-and

[gcomeau]

1. Don't care who he speaks to. Care what he tells them. -eom

[Bad Thoughts]

4. Ditto. eom.

[2banon]

11. Hear! Here! That's my feeling, in fact I'd rather he accepted the invitation

and speak truth to power on this entire M.E. matter.

This is the one issue I have questions about. But I figure it can't be worse than the status quo. But Let Me Be Clear, The status quo just isn't acceptable to me.

[senz]

25. Yes, he's good at speaking truth to power.

Although there could be a few landmines in this situation; he's Jewish but also criticizes Israel when it mistreats Palestinians.

[loyalsister]

13. I agree

In fact, I would be pleased to see him speak and tell them exactly what they DON'T want to hear.

[Kip Humphrey]

2. I encourage Bernie to use his judgment - I trust that.

[Enrique]

3. Bernie does not share this view

as far as I know. I think he is most likely going to accept the invitation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. ...

[jberryhill]

6. I think he'll speak to anyone

[JI7]

7. he has the same position on Israel that Hillary does

[farleftlib]

14. Not even close

he is worlds apart from her on this issue.

[JI7]

15. in what way ?

[farleftlib]

17. In this way

Jewish Heritage: Bernie is Jewish, but he does not favor Israel over the Palestinians, nor does he otherwise let his religion influence his positions regarding the conflict.

Two-State Solution: Bernie believes that Israel and the Palestinians can, and should, peacefully co-exist, and that Palestinians should have a country of their own.

On Netanyahu & Iran: Bernie is not a big supporter of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and believes that diplomacy, not military action or economic sanctions, can keep Israel safe from Iran.

[JI7]

18. Hillary has the same position on israel

[Fawke Em]

22. No... not really.

She may give it lip service, but her lips are really very squarely on Netanyahu's butt.

http://forward.com/opinion/national/324013/how-i-would-rebuild-ties-to-israel-and-benjamin-neta/

[Peace Patriot]

8. I have to agree with the above two posters that it's Bernie's call...

...but I would add this: All speeches need to be PUBLIC.

If these are private meetings, with no recording and no promise to release full speeches to the public immediately after they are given and with no editing, then I would say no--I wouldn't want Bernie to go. It would be a blow to one of his main themes: transparency. But I still say it's his call.

AIPAC is one of the most powerful influences on U.S. foreign policy--and one that has often been to our detriment. I would like to see Bernie Sanders give them a lecture on peace and justice and on the advantages of peace and justice to Israel's survival, as well as on the heavy military burden that the U.S. has borne for Israel for so long. That's my desire, if he attends. But he knows far better than I do whether he should attend and what he should say.

[haikugal]

12. Make it all public, I agree.

[haikugal]

9. Bernie spoke at Liberty University...He can handle it. He'd have to as president.

[jillan]

10. Bernie should go and tell them he does not approve of Netanyahu's policies.

[Fawke Em]

16. I'd be quite delighted to have the race's only Jewish candidate tell AIPAC the truth of their

Middle East policies.

I think he should go and tell them their kissing up to the terrorist, Netanyahu, is costing them the good will they once had. They need to move to a two-state solution with the United States acting as a NEUTRAL party, negotiating from fairness, rather than their continued bullying and thumbing-of-noses at no-build treaties.

[restorefreedom]

32. this. nt

[beam me up scottie]

19. As long as he keeps his integrity and tells the truth I'm fine with his speaking to AIPAC.

He spoke at Liberty U and came out the better for it after all.

[senz]

28. Yeah, I thought of that, too.

He has a way of speaking the truth in plain, incisive terms, no hint of rancor or pandering -- just humane values presented reasonably and logically. People seem to respect it even when they disagree.

Hill and Trump will of course pander to whichever group each feels the need to impress. Her aides will have a nice speech prepared for her.

[beam me up scottie]

29. Exactly, he's not going to pander or breathe fire.

He'll just keep on doing what he's been doing all along: Being Bernie

[eggman67]

20. He's not afraid to speak anywhere and

He won't be modifying his message when he does.

[NCTraveler]

21. I see a lot of comments about how he needs...

To go and tell them what they don't want to hear. The same people saying that might be the ones left a little uncomfortable. Even feel theorem.org barely has a blip on this.

https://m.

[Fawke Em]

23. I've seen it and I think he was reacting more to the heckling than the content.

[NCTraveler]

24. Excellent explanation. Nt

[senz]

34. Nothing gets people more excited than Israel.

BTW, I finally checked your profile, saw that you're a female, and then you seemed different. I'd assumed you were a man and always took your smiley waves as condescending; now they seem kind of friendly. Which means I need to pay attention to a subconscious trace of anti-male sexism I honestly didn't know I had.

fwiw

[senz]

36. lol, you didn't waste any time putting that hilarious gif in your sig line!

It makes a great statement, too.

[Jefferson23]

26. I hope he attends, I think it is important for him to do so. n/t

[grossproffit]

27. This is why Bernie hasn't addressed antisemitism.

He doesn't want to piss off some of his base. Yet, he has no problem addressing racism and Islamophobia.

I won't be making anymore loyalty oaths.

[Avalux]

30. He should attend and be his usual honest self.

That's all he can do. Love Trumps Hate!*

*a Bernie original

[ericson00]

31. here's reality:

If Bernie wants to make himself further fringe, then say hello to President Trump if Bernie gets the nod.

[reddread]

33. reality?

Ive been so confused about that concept.

"REALITY" IS A POLLING RESULT!

Im ready for college now.
screw it, Im ready for the exit exams.
Im a Philosophy PhD in the makin!


rather than Bern up another sarc tag, I'm just gonna thank the reality based commune
for making clear to me what their "reality" is based upon.
Better advice from the voices in my head I suspect.

[grossproffit]

35. I love reality, others, not so much.