At the recent annual conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), its executive director declared the organization’s total commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Isi Leibler sees this move as a misguided attempt to regain support from younger, left-leaning Jews and thus maintain AIPAC’s bipartisan bona fides:
American Jews, like Israelis, are entitled to have varying views on the two-state solution. But in the face of the intensified Palestinian Authority campaign of terror and incitement, most Israelis, like myself, who once supported a two-state solution now realize that it is impossible.
The Palestinians have one goal—Israel’s destruction. A nascent terrorist state in Judea and Samaria would be opposed by a clear majority of Israelis across the political spectrum. For diplomatic reasons, the government has not explicitly stated this but it has assiduously avoided endorsing a two-state solution. . . . Even the Trump administration has repeatedly announced that it would support any decision both parties endorsed and did not call for a two-state solution.
Thus, it is with incredible hutzpah that an organization purporting to act with Israel’s and America’s best interests in mind has formally adopted a two-state policy. AIPAC is, in effect, pressuring Israel to move beyond what President Trump himself has demanded, and is encouraging the administration and Congress to pressure Israel in this direction.
This outrageous behavior will not induce liberals to support AIPAC but may encourage our American supporters to view Israel as intransigent and press it to make further concessions. . . . The only way to strengthen Israel’s support among Democrats and liberals is painstakingly to explain the case for Israel, which is not difficult—if they are willing to listen.
Read more on Israel Hayom: http://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/aipac-leadership-losing-the-plot/