De Blasio to speak at AIPAC conference, despite calls to boycott it from the left
Mayor Bill de Blasio, an avowed progressive, is continuing to support AIPAC amid calls for Democrats to skip this year’s policy conference in Washington, D.C.
De Blasio’s team confirmed he will deliver remarks at the annual conference this weekend — another example of daylight between him the left flank of the Democratic Party on the issue of Israel.
He plans to speak about “the progressive pro-Israel movement” in front of an estimated 18,000 people at the conference Monday, his spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg said. On Sunday, he will be interviewed on stage by AIPAC’s national director for progressive engagement, Marilyn Rosenthal.
Earlier this week, the liberal group MoveOn called on Democratic presidential candidates to forgo the conference, citing AIPAC’s links to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom de Blasio often criticizes.
Presidential candidates do not typically attend the conference outside of election years, making the call largely symbolic. It’s also a harbinger of a possible new litmus test for Democratic candidates next year.
De Blasio is exploring whether to run for president himself in 2020. While in Washington, he will likely take meetings related to his potential bid, Rothenberg said. His political action committee will reimburse the city for any non-government work he does on the trip, which will wrap up Monday, she added.
De Blasio has supported Israel throughout his political career, which began with him representing an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood during his eight years in the City Council.
He views his alliance with Jews and Israel as a progressive position — one that formed long before Netanyahu’s tenure and the current mood of left-leaning Democrats. Yet support for Israel, and AIPAC in particular, has changed since his career began.
Rep. Ilhan Omar caused a national controversy when she tweeted about AIPAC’s influence over politicians, tweeting, “It’s all about the Benjamins Baby.”
She ended up apologizing for the comment, which many felt was anti-Semitic because it evoked stereotypes about Jews and money. But she has remained critical of Israel, giving oxygen to an issue that has long frustrated many liberals: America’s unwavering support for the country.
De Blasio was among those to criticize Omar’s comments.
After POLITICO reported last week he attended a private gathering hosted by AIPAC to discuss a rise in anti-Semitic incidents, the mayor was asked by WNYC’s Brian Lehrer why he doesn’t instead align himself with the more left-leaning outfit, J Street.
“I have a lot of respect for J Street and I’m happy to work with them,” de Blasio said. “But I also think, from my experience with folks in AIPAC, [they] represent a broad range of views. There are folks who are more conservative, more liberal. They do believe strongly in protecting the state of Israel, as do I. But it’s very important right now that people of goodwill talk to each other and focus on this fight against anti-Semitism.”