Sanders Won’t Attend “Bigoted” Pro-Israel Convention

The Washington Post reports:



Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has never attended an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, according to the lobbying group. In fact, his public refusal to attend last year’s conference early in his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination spurred a petition that urged other presidential candidates to steer clear of the pro-Israel lobbying group’s event.

Things have changed since last year, but the Vermont senator on Sunday again denounced the conference, which he called a platform for “leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.” In doing so, Sanders has reignited the debate over the lobby’s influence in American politics.

In response, AIPAC, which calls itself a “pro-Israel lobby” and holds substantial sway in foreign-policy debates involving Israel and the Palestinian territories, described Sanders’ position on Sunday as “Truly shameful.”