MoveOn asks 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to boycott AIPAC conference

Washington (QNN)- MoveOn, the progressive advocacy movement, asked Democratic presidential candidates to boycott this year’s AIPAC policy conference, citing its links to the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu and charging that AIPAC has flirted with Islamophobia.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the group cited four reasons for Democrats not to attend, including the conference’s links to Benjamin Netanyahu, the millions of dollars AIPAC spent to defeat the Iran nuclear deal, its peddling of “anti-Muslim and anti-Arabic rhetoric,” and its refusal “to condemn the anti-Semitism of Republicans.”

“It’s time for progressives to recognize where their base stands — which means upholding progressive principles on domestic AND foreign policy,” the group said on Twitter.

The move underscores a growing willingness on the Democratic left to criticize Israel and its Washington supporters, particularly since Rep. Ilhan Omar bashed supporters of Israel in terms widely condemned as anti-Semitic.

“It’s no secret that that AIPAC has worked to hinder diplomatic efforts like the Iran deal, is undermining Palestinian self-determination, and inviting figures actively involved in human rights violations to its stage,” said Iram Ali, Campaign Director at MoveOn Political Action, in a statement provided first to POLITICO. Ali said the move should “give a clear insight to 2020 candidates on where their base stands instead of prioritizing lobbying groups and policy people who rarely step outside of D.C.”

Source: Politico