The mood at this year’s American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference - the yearly gathering that drew thousands of Israel-supporters from Sunday till today to be briefed on issues related to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to lobby their members of Congress - was cautiously optimistic. On the whole, most speakers seemed to voice trust in President Obama’s leadership, and the theme of the conference, emblazoned on signs that decorated the main banquet hall and hallways of the Washington Convention Center, was “Relationships Matter.” (This was a stark departure from the mood of urgency about Iran’s march towards nuclear capability that dominated other recent AIPAC policy conferences. In the words of one attendee, “Look around. It’s gone from High Noon to Kumbaya.”)
Of course, AIPAC works with whomever is in office in Washington and Jerusalem and is generally very effective at doing so. Now that President Obama is at the helm, the emphasis seems heavy on cooperation with other countries to put the squeeze on Iran’s leadership via sanctions.
Among attendees, percolating just beneath the surface one sensed the question, will the relationship between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be fruitful in helping to halt Iran’s march toward nuclear capability, and should it become necessary as a last resort, will President Obama support Israel in its self-defense and defense of the region?
The other major theme at the conference was that the Arab states around Israel are getting nervous about Iran, too, and that this may make them open to possibilities–including acceptance of Israel–on which they have never previously budged. In other words, they are also scared of Iran and as a result might perhaps reconsider their refusal to accept Israel, because they may need Israel to protect the region. Several speakers, including Israeli President Shimon Peres, talked about the Saudi Peace Initiative to carve a Palestinian state out of parts of Israel, with a capital in East Jerusalem, and achieve what the Saudis characterize as a “just solution” to the Palestinian refugee problem in exchange for acceptance, by the other countries of the middle east, of Israel’s right to exist with a complete withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders.
Peres spoke of the Saudi Peace Initiative as marking a “serious U-turn” in relations between Israel and other countries in the region.
He continued, “Israel wasn’t a partner to the wording of their initiative. Therefore it doesn’t have to agree to every word. Well, nevertheless, Israel respects the profound change. Israel hopes it will be translated in real action, the sooner the better.
“Dear friends, let me make it clear. We trust the leadership of President Obama. We trust he may make a way to open both a regional agreement and meaningful bilateral negotiations. It can be done, both, together, right away. It is a real change in the situation…”
Wise to keep in mind that Peres, who went on to rhapsodize that “peace is not necessarily the result of detailed negotiations with many lawyers –my god –with many map designers, my god. I know that peace bears from the soil, like a geyser. It is beautiful to behold. It is impossible to contain,” was a prime architect of the unsuccessful Oslo Peace Accords.
On the other hand, with the specter of a nuclear Iran looming on the horizon, no one knows what the future holds. And at AIPAC this year, along with some pretty tasty sweet potatoes and chocolate covered strawberries, all options were on the table.
5 Comments
I agree that diplomacy should be the first method used in finding a solution. Sanctions can help but not if the United States provides unconditional funding to Hamas.
As congress decides on the next spending bill it should remove the $300 million earmarked for a Hamas-backed “unity” government. Aipac should insist that no dollars fall into the lap of a government that calls for Israel’s destruction.
Of course, AIPAC works with whomever is in office in Washington and Jerusalem and is generally very effective at doing so. Now that President Obama is at the helm, the emphasis seems heavy on cooperation with other countries to put the squeeze on Iran’s leadership via sanctions.
Yes. That’s why it was good to hear what Biden had to say.
Great conference from what I saw of it online. A bipartisan event.
Biden gave a great speech. The highlights are already up on U tube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPIf4mzPFLE
This was an interesting observation and quote from the conference:
Kerry received his most sustained applause when he suggested that Israel should not be expected to pull out of the West Bank any time soon.
“Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, only to face Hezbollah; Israel withdrew from Gaza, only to face Hamas rockets. Israel is not about to let the same thing happen in the West Bank, nor should they,” Kerry said.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2009/05/06/biden_says_viable_palestinian_state_must_be_achieved/
There can be no compromises with Palestinians.
God gave the land of Israel. It is written in the Bible.
A two state solution would be a violation of God’s word and his plans for his people.
The only solution is for Arabs to move to Arab lands.
There’s plenty of places they can live besides Israel.
Israel should be a Jewish state and it cannot fulfill its destiny if Arab are allowed to live there.
The new Israeli government is taking a more hardline view. A rejection of the two state solution that has been constantly supported by misguided governments along the way.
One cannot ignore the will of God.
The Jews are the chosen people.
Any attempt to divide their God given land is an abomination and insult to God.
The Israel lobby is aiming to soften up US public opinion for an attack on Iran. Americans should resist its propaganda.
The level of hubris necessary to pull this off is astonishing. Fresh off the dismissal of the Rosen-Weissman spy charges involving its own employees, Aipac is flexing its political muscle and reminding the world of its resurgence. It does this through a combination of manipulation, public lobbying and punishment of its enemies.
We in the US must be prepared to resist. We must protect ourselves from Israel’s propaganda offensive ginning up war with Iran. We must encourage President Obama to stay strong in his commitment to Israeli-Arab peace, whether or not Israel is a willing partner. Keeping our eyes on the prize of peace is going to be the hardest challenge of all, because the Netanyahu government is doing everything it can to divert the world’s attention.
To the above comment: Actually, Mr. Finkelstein, what I find astonishing is the hubris of some in the international community who think that an externally imposed “peace” solution will get to the root of the problems that underlie the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, which is in reality the Israeli/Arab conflict.
With Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on the way to the White House tomorrow, let’s revisit history. The day after its inception as a modern state alongside land apportioned for the Palestinians, five Arab armies attacked Israel, rejecting partition and creating the Palestinian refugee crisis. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that what Israel’s enemies could not do directly in ‘48, ‘67, and ‘73–destroy Israel–they have attempted to do over the past five decades by waging a public relations battle in which the Palestinians are cannon fodder.
Re: Iran, as I’ve written before, Israelis are among the few democratic allies the U.S. has who have never, ever even remotely suggested that Americans fight or die for them. All they ask, as strong democratic allies, is the support of friends in fighting their own battles, as any free people have the right to do. The fact that they cannot count on that support from some in the U.S. Jewish community is shameful.
Thank you for commenting–you have reinforced my conviction of the need to raise awareness of the historical record and the need for moral clarity in this age of moral relativism and distortion.
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