By Samantha Brotman. Published 3-21-2016 by Common Dreams
![Reuven Rivlin, president of Israel, meeting senior managers of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), January 14 2015. Photo: Mark Nayman, Government Press Office, Israel - מארק ניימן, לע"מ [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons](http://occupyworldwrites.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/President_Rivlin_meeting_the_senior_management_of_AIPAC_January_2015.jpg)
Reuven Rivlin, president of Israel, meeting senior managers of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), January 14 2015. Photo: Mark Nayman, Government Press Office, Israel – מארק ניימן, לע”מ [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The 2016 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference is currently underway in Washington, DC. The conference is no small affair; as is the case every year, there is a star-studded speakers list. This year, nearly all of the American presidential candidates are scheduled to speak, each no doubt hoping to convince conference goers that they love Israel more than their competitors in the presidential race.
All of this would be business as usual were it not for the controversy stirred up by Donald Trump’s participation in the conference. Many Jewish and non-Jewish groups and individuals plan to protest Trump at AIPAC this week because he does not reflect their values. Trump’s flagrantly racist statements and violent and exclusionary rhetoric are deeply troubling to many across the political spectrum. But it is important to note that AIPAC inviting Trump is not an aberration, it is in line with AIPAC’s mission to support Israel regardless of how illegal and repressive its policies are. Continue reading →
