Aipac Forum, Day 1: Strengthening Ties — With Help From Purell
By Nathan Guttman May 3, 2009
“Relationships Matter” is the slogan Aipac has chosen for this year’s annual policy conference, which opened on Sunday at the Washington Convention Center. “Relationships,” as in those between the U.S. and Israel, and relationships of the kind Aipac members are expected to forge with members of Congress and other elected officials.
And good relationships, everyone knows, begin with a handshake. But this could turn out to be somewhat of a problem with the Swine Flu scare, which is making people think twice before extending their hand for a friendly hello. Organizers at the Aipac conference had thought even of that, and provided delegates who were interested in it with miniature bottles of Purell.
And with the antibacterial wash in hand, they can move forward with making those relationship matters.
Another relationship that matters was that of the pro-Israel lobby with Rep. Jane Harman, the California Democrat who got into trouble after transcripts of her phone conversation regarding the prosecution against two former Aipac staffers were leaked to the press.
Harman sat on the opening panel at the conference and, for a while, stuck to the issue of Middle East foreign policy. But at the final round of questions, Harman turned to the crowd and addressed what she called “my alleged situation.” She vowed to keep fighting to clear her name, and promised to keep up her good ties with pro-Israeli activists.
“The issue is obviously creating a chilling effect on hardworking bipartisan members of Congress who care intensely about the U.S.–Israel security relationship and have every right to talk to advocacy groups and our good friends about that relationship,” Harman said.
One relationship that never came up during the first day of the Aipac conference was the relationship of the lobby itself with its two former staff members, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman; on Friday, Rosen and Weissman were all but exonerated from espionage charges.
Somehow, no one felt the need to mention the case.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
