It’s impossible to be on social media these days and not be confronted with a slew of posts and articles vitriolically attacking Israel and American supporters of Israel, including very-much so, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). There have of course always been “critiques” of AIPAC – some very hostile; but at least in their magnitude, nothing compared to what we see today. In the old days, most of the attacks were far more on the fringes. And of course their views weren’t given their exposure of social media. And there were far more people willing to speak out against them.

For seven plus decades, Israel’s “detractors” in the United States have engaged in a an ongoing campaign to denigrate, demonize and delegitimize the Jewish State. Over the years, this “Campaign” ebbed and flowed in its virulence, intensity and significance. While the anti-Israel fringes always made explicit their “rejection of Israel;” some of Israel’s more prominent detractors, whatever they may have thought privately or hinted at publicly; at-least offered lip-service to acceptance of Israel. This was perhaps because this was a sine qua non for political acceptation in mainstream America.

An integral part of that campaign against Israel were the efforts to delegitimize American supporters of Israel. Be they American Zionists, American Jewish organizations such as AIPAC or ADL or American politicians of either party who were supportive of Israel (and there were a lot of those!) The anti-Israel haters understood that US support for Israel was very-important to Israel in a myriad of ways.; and AIPAC obviously played a not-inconsequential role in promoting and strengthening this support. And the wondrous highlight of every AIPAC year was the ever-growing annual AIPAC Policy Conference which until it ended at the time of COVID was the American Jewish highlight of the year........

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