Dozens of Jewish Americans issued a letter this week opposing the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee's influence in this year's US elections.
“Given that Israel is so isolated internationally that it could not continue its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians without US political and military support, Aipac is an essential link in the chain that holds in place the unbearable tragedy of Israel/Palestine,” the letter, published in online publication The Nation, reads.
“In the coming US elections, we need to break that chain in order to help free the people of Israel/Palestine to pursue peaceful coexistence.”
Aipac is a major US lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies in Washington, and this election cycle it has been using its influence to push back against pro-ceasefire progressive Democrats.
The letter's signatories include Jewish academics, activists, business leaders and celebrities such as Princess Bride actor Wallace Shawn and award-winning author and playwright Tony Kushner.
“We strongly oppose Aipac’s attempts to dominate Democratic primary elections,” the letter states. “We call on Democratic candidates to not accept Aipac network funding and demand that the Democratic leadership not allow Republican funders to use that network to deform Democratic primary elections.”
US media, citing sources familiar with the matter, have reported that Aipac is expected to spend $100 million in 2024 “taking aim at candidates they deem insufficiently supportive of Israel”.
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The pro-Israel group's main targets have been the small group of Democrats in the House of Representatives known as “The Squad”, which includes Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush.
Squad members have been among Washington's fiercest advocates of an end to the Israel-Gaza war and a halt to the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Earlier this month, more than 20 progressive groups formed the “Reject Aipac” coalition in a bid to challenge the group's efforts to funnel millions to progressive congressional leaders' primary campaign challengers, and denounced Aipac's influence over US government policies on Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“Most Jewish Americans support much more even-handed policies and certainly democratic policies within the United States and in the region,” Sharon Goldtvik, a communications and political consultant who works with progressive groups, told The National.
“It's certainly not representative of mainstream public opinion among American Jews when it comes to Israel-Palestine or anything else.”
A survey conducted by Pew Research published on Thursday found that most Jewish Americans – 89 per cent – see Israel’s reasons for going to war against Hamas as valid, and 62 per cent said the way Israel is carrying out the war in Gaza is acceptable.
Representatives from J Street, a “pro-Israel, pro-peace” Jewish-American organisation that has found itself consistently at odds with Aipac, also signed the letter.
Midterm election polling from J Street showed in 2022 that Jewish Americans are “broadly pro-Israel” but largely against a series of right-wing Israeli policies, including settlement expansion.
“They [Jewish Americans] are very much not in support of the Aipac-style approach that we should just support the Israeli government's decisions, no matter what, that criticism of the Israeli government is out of bounds,” Logan Bayroff, J Street's vice president of communications, told The National at the time.
“That's not how the community actually feels at all.”
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Ant-Man and the Wasp
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Three stars
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
