From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 24, 2019
While not naming Democratic lawmaker, AIPAC CEO pans ‘dual-loyalty’ critique
Opening the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington, the pro-Israel lobby’s CEO Howard Kohr goes after those accusing pro-Israel Americans of dual loyalty, calling it “defamation masquerading as discourse.”
“The scurrilous charge of dual loyalty is a signal and that signal amplified by social media is now empowering people who have long opposed our cause and everything we have built,” Kohr says.
Speaking about the political discourse about Israel in the US, Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar said last month during a town hall in Washington that “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”
“Critics are emboldened and energized and their false claims are taken at face value by new and broader audiences,” Kohr adds.
“They say you cant be a good campus leader and support of Israel. They say you can’t be a good progressive and supporter of Israel; and now they’re saying you can’t even be a good American and be a supporter of Israel.
“This is defamation masquerading as discourse.”
“The intense hatred of Israel is creeping from the margins to the center of our national politics,” says Kohr.
“They have our attention… We will respond,” he says.
“Our detractors think we’ll fold if we’re pushed,” he says. “They don’t know what we’re made of.”
