AIPAC urges Dems not to weaken relationship with Israel, even if it annexes land

AIPAC says it would be a “mistake” to allow Israel’s planned annexation of parts of the West Bank, should it occur, to affect US-Israel ties.

The statement is the first from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated plans to annex parts of the West Bank by July 1. A number of groups on the left are mounting a campaign to get presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, as well as Democrats in the Senate, to speak out against the plans.

“Some have proposed reducing our ties with Israel because they object to the potential decision by Israel’s leaders to extend Israeli sovereignty to parts of the West Bank,” the statement says. “Doing anything to weaken this vital relationship would be a mistake.”

The statement cites Israel’s role as a “pillar of America’s regional security framework” and US-Israel cooperation in a number of areas, including scientific research.

— JTA