by Peter Miller and Nancy Hedrick
Portland
area activists protested the annual Oregon State membership dinner of the
leading pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or
AIPAC, on Sunday May 19. As usual, a number of local, state, and Congressional
public figures attended the event. Lobbies such as AIPAC continue to distort
U.S. policies against the broad desire of people to have our government take
actions rooted in principles of social justice and human rights. As the AIPAC
dinner and AIPAC’s clout on government policy receive no attention from mainstream
Portland press, grassroots efforts become that much more important to challenge
this status quo.
Over
60 protesters were at the gates of Mittleman Jewish Community Center in
southwest Portland to greet the 200-some attendees. The protesters carried
signs and banners urging ‘No War on Iran’, ‘End the siege of Gaza’, and ‘End U.S.
military aid to Israel.’ Large banners depicted Israel’s concrete apartheid
wall dividing the Palestinian West Bank.
(The activist groups involved are listed below.)
AIPAC is one of our country’s most powerful lobbies. Its hardline
pro-Israel stance supports any belligerent action Israel takes against
neighboring countries and purposely ignores the appalling conditions of daily
life of the Palestinians caused by Israel’s apartheid policies. Palestinians in
Gaza are under a total military siege and live with 32% unemployment, widespread
food insecurity, and terrible medical care. In the West Bank, Israel is rapidly
expanding its illegal settlements and continues to demolish Palestinian homes,
farms, and villages.
The yearly national AIPAC
conference receives major press coverage. This March’s event attracted half of
the members of the House and Senate and Vice-President Biden. However, The Oregonian or other local media never
mention the content of speeches or the nature of the rhetoric of Oregon’s
premier AIPAC event. This year’s Portland event was very secretive with minimal
promotion. Attendees had their names checked off before entry, had to present
photo-ID and pass by Portland police and security. They were warned that anyone
found recording would be ejected from the event and their equipment confiscated.
The event was announced to be “off the record” in case any
journalists accidentally found themselves covering one of the most important
political events in Oregon. Fundraising material was handed to everyone: for
$36,000 per year, you could join AIPAC’s Chairman’s Council that puts you “in
the room and at the table with American and Israeli decision-makers.”
Oregon Representatives Kurt
Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici were prominent attendees. Other politicians
included federal judge Michael Simon, Betsy Close (OR State Senate), Wyden
staffer Lisa Rockower, Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and
numerous Oregon State representatives (Jeff Barker, Brian Clem, Brent Barton,
Val Hoyle, Julie Parrish, and Jim Weidner). Many other members of our
Congressional delegation have attended in past years. Though not present this
year, Senator Wyden is a particular favorite of the lobby. He is among the top
10 Senate recipients of pro-Israel PAC money receiving $348,462 during his career.
Bonamici spoke at length. The congresswoman
brought up HR 850 (Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013), which has three Oregon
sponsors (Bonamici, Walden, Schrader) as well as Rep. Herrera Beutler. This
bill aims to strengthen the sanctions on Iran and designate the Iranian
National Guard as a terrorist organization. Likewise, she endorsed the “United
States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013” pending in both the House and Senate
(sponsored by all of the Oregon delegation except for Blumenauer and Merkley). These
bills would, among other things, support Israel’s policy of discriminating
against Americans based on religion, ethnicity, and political views by denying
them entry into Israel (often Palestinian-Americans coming to visit family)
while allowing easy access to Israelis entering the U.S. The AIPAC director for
Oregon and Washington, David Pactor, bragged that AIPAC met with each of the 96
new Congressional members elected in 2012 and had half of them sign pledges in
support of AIPAC even before being sworn into office.
Oregon’s yearly share of military aid to Israel
amounts to $28.5 million and could reach $38 million per year due to increases
promoted by the Obama Administration (see http://aidtoisrael.org). This is
happening in the context of the sequester cuts of $13 million from Oregon’s
housing and homeless programs. Compared against another social welfare concern,
Oregon’s share of this foreign aid would pay for 190,000 medical visits at
Outside In (at an average cost of $147). The pro-Israel policy as it stands
makes it abundantly clear that our government is much more committed to funding
projects aligned with U.S. geopolitical desires to control the Middle East than
to fund the domestic needs of our own population hit hard by the current
economic downturn.
It is painful to watch our own politicians line up
to give AIPAC such tremendous power behind closed doors.
Groups protesting this event included Americans
United for Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR), Christ’s Way Church, Friends
of Sabeel North America ~ Portland Action Group, Jewish Voice for Peace –
Portland (JVP), Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land, and Students United for
Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER).
Authors: Peter Miller is president of the local
Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR, www.auphr.org) and
co-chair of the steering committee of the national U.S. Campaign to End the
Israeli Occupation (http://endtheoccupation.org). Nancy Hedrick is a member of AUPHR.
This article appears in 2013-05-24.