Sanders Praises Castro, But Will Skip AIPAC Since the Platform Allows People to ‘Express Bigotry’

Sanders Praises Castro, But Will Skip AIPAC Since the Platform Allows People to ‘Express Bigotry’

*Insert confused face gif*

2020 Democratic primary frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced he will skip the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference since the platform allows people to “express bigotry.”

Sanders’ announcement came a day after he praised former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Again, confused face gif goes here.

The Israeli people have the right to live in peace and security. So do the Palestinian people. I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason I will not attend their conference. 1/2

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 23, 2020

As president, I will support the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians and do everything possible to bring peace and security to the region. 2/2

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 23, 2020

AIPAC responded:

“In fact, many of his own Senate and House Democratic colleagues and leaders speak from our platform to the over 18,000 Americans from widely diverse backgrounds — Democrats, Republicans, Jews, Christians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community — who participate in the conference to proclaim their support for the US — Israel relationship,” Wittmann said, in an unusually harsh statement for the group.

“By engaging in such an odious attack on this mainstream, bipartisan American political event, Senator Sanders is insulting his very own colleagues and the millions of Americans who stand with Israel. Truly shameful,” Wittman said.

So Sanders hate bigotry. The Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein kindly reminded everyone that Sanders attended and spoke at the Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) conference last August.

ISNA rejected Muslim journalist Wajahat Ali because he had the nerve to involve himself with “the Shalom Hartman Institute and its Muslim Leadership Initiative — a program that promotes engagement between American Muslims and Jewish scholars, both in Israel and in New York City, to learn how diverse Jewish communities debate and discuss Israel, Zionism, and Judaism.”

How dare he!

Instead, ISNA accepted Hatem Bazian, a man known as America’s “most anti-semitic professor.” He teaches at UC Berkeley.

He founded the group Students for Justice in Palestine, “which has been associated with a spike in anti-Semitic attacks on campus.” The Tower wrote:

“In 1999, the Detroit News reported that Bazian endorsed a passage of the Qur’an that advocated violence against Jews: ‘The Day of Judgment will not happen until the trees and stones will say, “Oh Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’” (Bazian later denied having done so.) And after 79 SJP members were arrested in 2002 for illegally occupying UC Berkeley’s Wheeler building (a protest that coincided with the Holocaust Day of Remembrance), Bazian organized a counterdemonstration to protest the arrests. Playing on old anti-Semitic tropes of Jewish power and money, Bazian allegedly pointed toward donor names engraved on school buildings and said, “Take a look at the type of names on the buildings around campus — Haas, Zellerbach — and decide who controls this university.”

Others include Nihal Awad. He once said he supports “the Hamas movement.” He also claimed that those of “Jewish origin” from President Clinton’s administration push American policy.

Then there’s Zahra Billoo, who I blogged about last year. The Women’s March dropped her almost as soon as it appointed her to its board due to past anti-Semitic posts. She tweeted, “If you support Israel, you are no doubt supporting baby killers.”

Let’s push aside ISNA. Let’s look at those who endorsed Sanders.

Sanders has paraded Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib at his rallies. We have documented the many anti-Semitic tweets and comments they have made in the past:

• Rashida Tlaib *forgot* to mention Palestinian Suicide Bombers in teary statement about checkpoints
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib Falsely Claims Palestinian Arabs Created “a Safe Haven” for Jews During and After The Holocaust
• Report: Rep. Rashida Tlaib Penned Column for Anti-Semitic Farrakhan Publication in 2006
• BDS-supporter Rep. Rashida Tlaib plays anti-Semitic dual loyalty and disloyalty cards against Israel supporters
• Rep. Ilhan Omar Endorses BDS on Face the Nation
• Rep. Ilhan Omar’s latest anti-Semitic tweets: Israel supporters in Congress bought by Jewish money

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