THE LOBBY CAN REMAIN NEUTRAL WHEN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS
POLARIZING.
POLARIZING. >> IT IS GREAT TO BE BACK AT
AIPAC.
AIPAC. THE LARGEST GATHERING OF PRO
ISRAEL AMERICANS IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. >> Reporter: CLOSE TO 20,000
AMERICAN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS
AND PROMINENTLE POLITICIANS
MOBILIZE HERE ONCE A YEAR.
AND FOUNDPOUND FOR POUND, THEY M
UP THE MOST LOBBYISTS IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. AND THAT IS KEY TO AND I PACK IG
OWE
OWE AIPAC’S MISSION.
AIPAC’S MISSION. THEY SPOKE ABOUT WAYS TO
STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH
ISRAEL.
ISRAEL. >> ISRAEL IS ON THE FRONT LINE
DEALING WITH THE EXTREME
ELEMENTS.
ELEMENTS. AIPAC WORKS HARD TO GET PEOPLE
TO GOFOCUS ON THAT.
>> Reporter: BUT THIS YEAR
THINGS WERE DIFFERENT.
>> A FRESHMAN DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESS, WHEN SOMEONE ACCUSES
AMERICAN SUPPORT EVERIES OF DUAL
LOYALTY, I SAY ACCUSE ME.
>> Reporter: THE 2019 AIPAC
POLICY CONFERENCE MADE
HEADLINES, BUT THEY WERE LESS
ABOUT ISRAEL AND MORE ABOUT THE
BIPARTISAN FUTURE OF THE LOBBY.
ESSENTIALLY HOW CAN THEY REMAIN
NEUTRAL WHEN UNCONDITIONAL
SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS
POLARIZING.
POLARIZING. IT ALL STARTED WITH A PAIR OF
TWEETS FROM CONGRESSWOMAN OMAN
WIDELY THOUGHT TO BE
ANTI-SEMITIC.
ANTI-SEMITIC. THE TWEET AND THE REACTION TO
THEM --
THEM -- >> I DON’T THINK THAT SHE
UNDERSTOOD THE WEIGHT OF HER
WORDS.
WORDS. ALL RIGHT AMERICANS S
.
. >> Reporter: LEARNS SUPPORT
ISRAEL, BUT IT ISN’T WHAT IT
USED TO BE ESPECIALLY AMONG
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS. AND IT IS NOT JUST OMAR.
BOTH SHE AND RASHIDA TLAIB
SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT CALLING FOR
THE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL.
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ HAS
ALSO EXPRESSED SYMPATHY FOR
PALESTINIAN OIG
PALESTINIAN OIG PALESTINIANS.
PALESTINIANS. SO THE MISS ONLY FOR LAWMAKERG M
CLEAR.
CLEAR. IT IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.
>> SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS
RELENTLESSLY BIPARTISAN.
RELENTLESSLY BIPARTISAN. >> Reporter: OUTSIDE THE HALLSI
SIDES, A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> WE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE
OF ALL THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HAS DONE IN THE PAST YEAR TO
ADVANCE THE U.S./ISRAEL
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. >> Reporter: AND NOT ALL
APPRECIATE THE COZINESS.
67% OF AMERICANS DISAPPROVE OF
HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CURRENTLY
HANDLING RELATIONS WITH ISRAELI.
AIPAC DOESN’T TIPYPICALLY QUESTI
ISRAEL LEADERSHIP.
ISRAEL LEADERSHIP. AND HAVE EMBRACED MOST OF
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’S RIGHT WING
POLICIES.
POLICIES. HOW HAVE POLITICAL ATTITUDES TO
THE LEFT SHIFTED?
>> THE EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE OF
THE PRO ISRAEL LOBBY.
[ INAUDIBLE ]
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE OTHER
GROUPS IS A PROGRESSIVE JEWISH
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AND
ALSO BUILDS ITSELF AS PRO
ISRAEL.
ISRAEL. BUT IF YOU ASK AIPAC SUPPORTERS,
THEY LAME DID AS RADICAL.
>> THE NOTION THAT YOU COULD BE
PRO ISRAEL AND CRITICIZE THE
POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF
ISRAEL, THAT SEEMED RADICAL.
WE ARE SORT OF THE GROUP IN THE
MIDDLE THAT SAID ISRAEL IS NOT
ALWAYS RIGHT, ISRAEL IS NOT
ALWAYS WRONG.
ALWAYS WRONG. PALESTINIANS SOMEWHERE RIGHTS SH
>> SO WHY DO THEY CALL YOUR
ORGANIZATION RADICAL, DO YOU
HAVE ANY REGRETS ABOUT HOW YOU
HANDLE THE MESSAGING?
>> ISRAELIS LIVE UNDER THREATS
OF TERROR AND VIOLENCE.
AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO
RESPOND.
RESPOND. YOU HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION
WHETHER IT IS NECESSARY TO DO IT
AT THE LEVEL AS WHICH IT IS
DONE.
DONE. THE ISSUE IS WHEN YOU ASK THE
QUESTION AND IN WHAT TONE AND IN
WHAT WORD.
WHAT WORD. >> SO THE ACCUSATIONS, DO YOU
THINK THEY ARE JUST FILED?
>> ANTI-SEMITISM IS REAL.
THE WORDS SHE CHOSE TAP INTO
ANSI ACCEPTAN
ANSI ACCEPTAN ANTI-
ANTI- ANTI-SEMITISM
ANTI-SEMITISM ANTI-SEMITISM, BUT NOT IN THE
WAY IN A SOME OF THE INTOLERANCE
ON THE RIGHT AS A CULTURE OF
HATRED AND BIGOTRY AND
INTOLERANCE
INTOLERANCE INTOLERANCE.
INTOLERANCE. >> SO ATTACKS AGAINST YOUS ARE
AT A NEAR HISTORIC LEVEL.
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.BIP
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.AT
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES. NE
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.NEA
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.A N
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.T A
BIPARTISAN ATTITUDES TOWARD
ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
HAVE REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES.
>> STREETS AIT IS A SCARY TIME T
JEWISH ON CAMPUS.
THERE IS A LOT OF RHETORIC
FLYING AND SOME IT IS EASIER TO
PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN AND NOT TAKE
A STAND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
I BELIEVE IN MY MORAL FIBER TO
STAUN FOR
STAUN FOR STAND UP FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IS
RIGHT.
RIGHT. I BELIEVE IN THE TWO STATE
SOLUTION.
SOLUTION. ON A LIBERAL ARTS COMPASS, IT
CAN BE VERY LIKE SKARPRYCARY ALM
>> WHAT ARE AIPAC’S STRENGTHS?
>> I THINK THAT THEIR IDEA OF
ISRAEL EXISTING AS A STATE IS
MORPT
MORPT IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> HOW DOES IT DAMAGE
BIPARTISANSHIP?
BIPARTISANSHIP? [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> AT THE MOST RECENT
CONFERENCE, THEY HAD A WIDE A
RAY OF POLITICAL IDEAS HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES AND IN ISRAEL.
WHICH I THINK THERE NIGHTS TO BE
MORE DIALOGUE IN WASHINGTON.THE
WHICH I THINK THERE NIGHTS TO BE
MORE DIALOGUE IN WASHINGTON.
>> THEY DIDN’T SAY PALESTINIAN
ONCE.
ONCE. ONLY NOW THAT IT HAS GAINED
POLITICAL PROWESS.
POLITICAL PROWESS. >> IN-THAT IS AN THINK THE LEADE
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, I FEEL AIPAC
WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT
SLEERP
SLEERP LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. >> MAJORITY IN CONGRESS ARE
STILL UNITED BEHIND AIPAC AND
ISRAEL.
ISRAEL. BUT THE CONVERSATION IS
SHIFTING.
SHIFTING. AND THE WAY THAT AIPAC NAVIGATES
THAT WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IT CAN FIND
IN AN INCREASINGLY DIVIDED