Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg speaks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference on March 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Mike Bloomberg, the only Democratic presidential candidate to attend the AIPAC policy conference this year in person, attacked Bernie Sanders for boycotting the event, drawing loud applause on Monday.

“Senator Sanders has spent 30 years boycotting this event,” Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, said of his rival in the race for the party’s nomination. “And as you’ve heard by now, he called AIPAC a racist platform. Well he’s dead wrong.”

The Vermont senator, who is boycotting this year’s event over what he says are concerns that AIPAC provides a “platform” for “leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights,” has attended previous AIPAC conferences.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Sanders fought to speak at the policy conference in 2016 during his last run for the Democratic presidential nomination, but the American Israel Political Affairs Committee would not accommodate his request to speak remotely from the campaign trail. The Israel lobby had extended that courtesy to candidates in 2012 and did so this year.

Bloomberg also said he would “never impose conditions on military aid” to Israel “no matter what government is in power.” That appeared to be a reference to pledges by Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who have said they would condition aid.

Bloomberg also alluded to but did not name President Donald Trump toward the end of his speech when he referred to the dangers in the rise of anti-Semitism and other bigotries.

Anti-Semitism “can be found both on the right and the left,” Bloomberg said, “but there is one fact that we cannot ignore: Presidential leadership matters. It sets a tone. It is either inclusive or exclusive, divisive or uniting, incendiary or calming.”

The remarks also drew extended applause.

The post Mike Bloomberg, speaking at AIPAC, attacks Bernie Sanders for boycotting Israel lobby’s conference appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount