AIPAC’s apology for Trump speech is unprecedented

[oberliner]

This morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu experienced something that American politicians have become all too familiar with — being overshadowed by Donald Trump.

The prime minister’s video-linked speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's conference was preceded by the unscheduled introduction of AIPAC President Lillian Pinkus and four other leaders. Choking back tears, Pinkus apologized for Monday night's speeches, implying that Donald Trump had violated a nonpartisan standard.

“From the moment this conference began, until this moment, we have preached a message of unity,” Pinkus said. “We have said, in every way we can think of: Come together. But last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us. We say, unequivocally, that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks, and we take great offense to those that are levied against the president of the United States of America from our stage.”

...

It was the reaction — wild applause now available to view on Trump's campaign website — that was officially rejected by AIPAC.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/22/aipacs-apology-for-trump-speech-is-unprecedented/

[leftynyc]

1. I posted a story

about this yesterday. I had never seen anything like it from AIPAC before. Then again, I'd never seen Israel being used as a political football before 2012 either.

[PatrynXX]

4. well this is mostly Bibi's fault

turning the Country to the hard right. In it's near 70 yr history it has never ever been so Right wing.

[leftynyc]

5. I know who is to blame

bibi has been a freeking disaster. I hope he choked when Pres Obama won reelection - and I'm a VERY STRONG supporter of Israel.

[maddiemom]

31. Israel has gotten way out of hand in recent decades, particularly with Netanyahu.

I grew up in a very diversely religious family for the fifties through seventies. Only one second cousin that I'd met briefly a time or two as a child married a Muslim. (another friend married an The rest of my family was a real mix of Protestant/ Catholics and increasingly Jewish spouses becoming married a


n---needless to say, this was largely a Scandinavian family with some basically very non-religious Austro-Hungarian/ Germans in the mix on the other side. My family went to the closest Presbyterian church and sent us to "Bible School" just to keep from being bugged about CHURCH. Having married a fallen-away Catholic from a very liberal family, imagine my surprise when our pre-school daughter came home from MONTESSORI school feeling uncomfortable because all the other kids" went to (mostly Unitarian) CHURCH. Even more "surprising", (not really) her rebellious former Catholic dad asked me if I'd mind if she went the Catholic route if she wanted to get into "CHURCH". No problem. We're now divorced and our adult daughter knows all the neat "high celebration" days to enjoy CHURCH ceremony which are fun. Her morals, as are my own, don't come from CHURCH scripture or any moral high ground . They come from only the best common sense. Religion is largely an excuse for unleashing our worst impulses,

[maddiemom]

35. Please FORGIVE and disregard my last post.

Real life distractions caught me up, and I got overwhelmed with dealing with real life stuff.

[maddiemom]

39. Wait! What was I saying?

I think I was responding to a post that was pulled and I was trying to make amends if, God forbid, I was too hard on Israel. I am of such mixed religious background that I know almost all of my family, aside from a couple of reprobate great uncles who became Christian and married "church ladies" in later life, my family was never uptight about religion. I am Agnostic myself because it's all a great mystery to any thinking soul, it would seem to me.

[procon]

2. Israel has slowly and inexorably aligned itself with the GOP

and vice versa. It was inevitable as both groups share many of the same goals, philosophies and convictions that form their foreign policies ans spill over into religion and society practices. Republicans are always looking for a exploitable wedge to undermine Democrats and they thought they had the perfect advantage in fanning the disagreements between Obama and Netanyahu.

Netanyahu made a huge foreign relations blunder in accepting the Republican invitation to speak in Congress, but he was more interested in bitch-slapping Obama than thinking about the downward consequences of his theatrics. Now he has in effect permanently attached Israel to the coattails of the GOP and saddled AIPAC as a willing participant in every shocking incident the Republicans somehow find acceptable.

The horse has left the barn and AIPAC is rightfully terrified about the public image of their audience applauding a fascist bigot who mirrors one of history's most reviled dictators.

[oberliner]

3. Not true

Netanyahu has - since he is a right-winger.

Fortunately, Netanyahu is not Israel just as George W Bush was not America.

[PatrynXX]

6. Yep

Most Left Wing Jews figured he was done for. But he aligned himself with the scary side where I guess I can't use that word right now but the sort that is Authoritarian if you have people with numbers still on their arms shouting their disgust at Israeli soldiers treatment of Palestinians somethings wrong.

[procon]

11. I can't agree with you.

For good or bad, the leader of a country represents the public face of that entire country, not just certain factions. He is the elected representative of the majority of voters who share a common interest and promote their same ideology, not the views of the loyal opposition.

Much to my own chagrin, unfortunately there's no denying that Bush was the figurehead who represented all of us as the iconic image America presented to the world while he was in office. Netanyahu is nonetheless the public personification of Israel while he remains its leader.

[oberliner]

12. Fair enough

Certainly the current Israeli administration is in the same mold as US Republicans. No argument here.

[Scootaloo]

29. Israeli politics are solidly right-wing

You say "Netanyahu isn't Israel" as if Israel is on the cusp of bringing a true liberal figure into leadership.

[MariaThinks]

9. only netanyahu, not Israel.

[MariaThinks]

9. only netanyahu, not Israel.

[Cary]

13. Arabs had something to do with it

Rewarding Ehud Barack with an intifada for his efforts at Camp David had something to do with the election of Netanyahu.

[MH1]

7. Ok, Pinkus was apologizing for Trump's attack on Obama.

For some reason I read the OP differently. (Although it is only quoting from the article.)

Yeah, I can see how they might want to scramble to fix the mess they've made by coddling the extremists in the republican party.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Why do people still panic over the idea of Trump winning?

[trumad]

14. Why wouldn't they?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Hillary does it to generate fear.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

19. You're not afraid of a Trump presidency?

You'd be okay with it?

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. He doesn't stand a chance.

[lark]

20. Sorry your hate for HRC is blinding you.

She is not the only one who's pumping up the Trump fear, anyone with a brain can see that he's dangerous and unpredictable except that everything he does will benefit him and he cares nothing for us at all. He also doesn't care about laws or lives or things like the constitution. If you support him over her, you are in the wrong place.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. It has noting to do with hate for Hillary....

She claims to be the only one that can beat him.

That's not true.

In side by side matches Bernie wins by a much larger margin and she knows it.

[lark]

23. That's not what you were implying before.

Words and tone matter.

I do agree, btw, that Bernie would be better against Trump than HRC. That doesn't mean she's the only anti-Trump person out there, Bernie is calling Trump out too.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. Bernie writes off Trump as a buffoon.....

Hillary presents herself as the hero that can save us from him.

Sound familiar?

[lark]

25. Nope

I heard a clip last night where Bernie was addressing Trumps violence, he said Donald Trump is a dangerous person and is actively promoting violence at his rallies, which is outrageous. He was not treating Donald as a clown but as a threat.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. He doesn't have supporters claiming we HAVE to vote for Bernie to stop Trump.

[lark]

33. #3

I have seen several Bernie supporters on this board saying we had to elect Bernie if Trump is to be beaten. In fact, I've seen it more from Bernie supporters than those of HRC. If you notice, there aren't a lot of HRC supporters (% wise) on this board. I don't go to the individual forums so have no idea what's being said there, I just check out the Greatest threads and LBN.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

36. To be fair, there are far fewer Hillary supporters here....

I'm speaking of what I heard at the caucus.

Bernie supporters had a laundry list of issues while Hillary supporters were all about fear of losing to Trump.

[trumad]

26. Oh I see...

It's Hillary's fault.

Gotcha

[Spitfire of ATJ]

27. Hillary needs a vilian to run against.

[lark]

34. Are you saying he isn't a villain?

He certainly seems that way to me. Again, Bernie was dissing Trump big time last night, so he seems to agree that Trumps actions are egregious. Sure seems like you are pro-Trump, hopefully you are just invested in your point and don't really think he's OK as it seems like you are implying??

[Spitfire of ATJ]

37. "Are you saying he isn't a villain?"

LOL!

See?

[arcane1]

28. I don't. It will never happen. n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

32. Expect to have a Hillary supporter freak.

[saidsimplesimon]

16. k&r for a civil discussion

I call this event the AIPAC parade of who loves me most. It reminds me of the Koch and Adelson "interviews" for candidates worthy of their donations and subsequent lackey status. I believe it is unwise and illegal for any foreign nation or lobbyist to exert any influence on our elected officials.

[lark]

17. I am totally shocked.

I thought AIPAC was totally in the tank for Repugs, shocked that they are trying to pretend they aren't.

[fasttense]

18. Wow, how weird is that?

Truly disturbing to see Jewish people cheer for Nazi like behavior. Do they really think people like Trump will not persecute them if they cheer and clap for him loud enough? Do you think Trump would call off his white supremacists Nazis if they started attacking Jews and their friends? It's NOT just Black, Hispanic and Muslim people these Trump supporters hate. AIPAC is playing a very dangerous game.

[no_hypocrisy]

38. Do they really think people like Trump will not persecute them if they cheer and clap for him loud

enough?


Unfortunately and perhaps there is a false sense of security and protection of Jews if only because Trump has a daughter who converted to Orthodox Judaism and has 2-3 Jewish grandchildren.