• American Israel Public Affairs Committee – "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel“ (NYT) • “Ensure American support remains strong” • 100, 000+ members • Incorporated in 1963
Classifying AIPAC • National • Cause / Promotional • Permanent • Open Membership
Aims and Activities of AIPAC • To secure vital U. S. foreign aid for Israel • Ensure Israel remains strong and safe • Promotes strategic cooperation between the two nations: – Develop anti-terrorist policies, – Share homeland security techniques and technologies, – Stop rogue nations such as Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
Aims and Activities of AIPAC • To lobby Congress on issues regarding Israel • Regularly meets congressmen • AIPAC is not a PAC however: – Pro-Israel interests have contributed $56. 8 million in individual, group, and soft money donations to federal candidates and party committees since 1990 – Between the 2000 and the 2004 elections, the 50 members of AIPAC's board donated an average of $72, 000 each to campaigns and political action committees.
AIPAC on key issues • Never explicitly supported or lobbied for the Iraq war • Some in the pro-Israel community once saw the war as an effort that would more closely align the United States and Israel against a common enemy: Arab and Muslim radicalism. • AIPAC's official position on Iran is to encourage a strong diplomatic and economic response coordinated by the US and Europe – AIPAC has lobbied for various embargoes and sanctions on Iran
AIPAC on key issues – Most Recently • March 2009 – Executive Director Howard Kohr appeared before the House Committee on Approbations’ Foreign Operations subcommittee to testify the importance of US aid to Israel. – Requested that Israel receives $2. 775 billion in military fiscal aid in 2010 (Using the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding)
THIS WEEK http: //www. independent. co. uk/news /world/middle-east/obama-runs-out -of-patience-with-israel 1921812. html http: //www. aipac. org/Publications/A IPAC_CALLS_ON_OBAMA_ADMIN_TO _DEFUSE_TENSION. pdf
Achievements • Imposing tough sanctions on Iraq • Critical Security Assistance • Qualitive Military Edge • Key principles America should stand by as it works to help Israel achieve peace • Congressional support for Israel’s right to self defence
Key Supporters • George W Bush • Barack Obama • Bill Clinton • Dick Cheney • Eric Cantor • Hillary Clinton • John Mc. Cain • Joe Lieberman
• Rep. Robert Wexler has argued that America supports Israel because they share fundamental values as "freedomloving people" who "deserve to have a free and secure state. ‘ • “ Nancy Pelosi similarly stated that "America and Israel share an unbreakable bond: in peace and war; and in prosperity and in hardship. ”
Critics • Misrepresentative of American Jews who support Israel and that AIPAC is solely in favour of right-wing Israeli policy and viewpoints and brands those who disagree as "anti-Semitic" or "anti. Israel. " • The most powerful and best known" component of a larger pro-Israel lobby that distorts American foreign policy
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