Sitting Between Bibi And Obama, AIPAC Criticized By Left And Right

[Purveyor]

By Ron Kampeas · May 7, 2009

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Days after AIPAC’s apparent success navigating the churning waters between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations, the pro-Israel lobby is being criticized by Jewish groups on both sides of the political spectrum.

Pro-Israel groups on the right and left have assailed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee because of elements of its agenda that emerged from its annual policy conference this week.

The Zionist Organization of America registered a protest about AIPAC’s backing for Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, three groups that backed the U.S.-sponsored peace process -- Americans for Peace Now, J Street and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom -- rallied supporters to help roll back Tuesday afternoon's Capitol Hill blitz by 7,000 AIPAC delegates, suggesting the organization had failed to fully endorse Obama's peace moves.

The AIPAC conference suggested a middle road that could reconcile differences between the two young governments over a key issue -- whether to press toward Palestinian statehood.

The AIPAC delegates’ wish list included endorsements for two congressional letters that unequivocally support a “viable Palestinian state,” albeit with the usual preconditions about an “absolute” end to Palestinian violence.

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JTA: http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/07/1004999/navigating-obama-and-netanyahu-difference-aipac-gets-it-from-both-sides