#StopAIPACsHate
During the first week of February 2020, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) purchased Facebook ads attacking Representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Betty McCollum, asserting that their support for Palestinian human rights is more “sinister” than ISIS. No politician who cares about human rights, American interests and hate speech should attend its March 1-3, 2020 conference. Email your Senators, Rep and the 2020 presidential candidates now.
I am writing to you to ask you not to attend AIPAC’s March 1-3 policy conference in Washington, D.C.
During the first week of February 2020, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) purchased Facebook ads attacking progressive members of the Democratic party for its support of Palestinian human rights. “It’s critical that we protect our Israeli allies especially as they face threats from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah ISIS and — maybe more sinister — right here in the U.S. Congress,” one of the ads that attacked Representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Betty McCollum read.
As Congresswoman McCollum stated in her response: “AIPAC’s language is intended to demonize, not elevate a policy debate. Vile attacks such as this may be commonplace in the Trump era, but they should never be normalized. Hate speech is intentionally destructive and dehumanizing, which is why it is used as a weapon by groups with a stake in profiting from oppression….AIPAC claims to be a bipartisan organization, but its use of hate speech actually makes it a hate group.”
AIPAC lobbies for ever-increasing amount of US military aid to Israel and promotes Israeli settlements in direct opposition to international law. It authors and promotes legislation to stifle free speech and pressure the US to act as a pariah in the United Nations. On top of all of this, during the passage of the 2015 Iran deal, AIPAC pushed for military confrontation, rather than diplomacy, and they support the sanctions on Iran today that are causing immense suffering. Every two years, AIPAC attempts to persuade freshmen members of Congress to travel with them on a junket trip to Israel where they are shown only one side of the conflict, preventing them from seeing the brutal occupation and human rights violations Palestinians are subjected to.
Attending AIPAC’s March 1-3, 2020 policy conference in Washington, DC would serve to normalize AIPAC’s hate speech, its disregard for Palestinian human rights, and its attempts to secure support for Israel to the detriment of American interests, values, and democracy. I ask you not to attend the conference. #StopAIPACsHate
Sincerely,