[Peace-discuss] WaPo: War powers denier Luria blasts Bernie for skipping AIPAC

[Robert Naiman]

The sea is parting. The fundamental dynamics of the House Democratic caucus
on #EndlessWar are being exposed. AIPAC backed the Iraq war. AIPAC opposed
Obama's Iran deal. AIPAC backed the push for the Syria war in August 2013.
AIPAC backs Saudi regime messaging on Yemen. AIPAC is working tirelessly to
protect MbS. AIPAC never met a war in the Middle East it didn't like.
===
"On January 9, the House voted to force President Trump to seek
congressional approval for further military action against Iran. The war
powers measure offered by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) was approved by an
almost party-line vote of 224-194
<https://action.livableworld.org/page/m/5625d8e9/3474f295/6a1c7a5b/1870d274/2462170827/VEsC/?g=noEWJVDdY9BYVOXOkwOHnCA>,
with three Republicans voting yes (Gaetz, Massie and Rooney) and eight
Democrats voting no (Brindisi, Cunningham, Gottheimer, Horn, ***Lucia***,
McAdams, Murphy and Rose)."
===
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/for-luria-and-spanberger-a-sanders-nomination-would-complicate-reelection/2020/02/25/9594fd7c-57e5-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html

Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) wasted no time in denouncing presidential
candidate Bernie Sanders this week after he said he would skip the annual
conference of the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

“Senator Sanders’ comments only contribute to the divisive rhetoric often
used *when discussing the issue of Israel’s right to exist*,” Luria said in
a statement Tuesday that rocketed around social media.

[*Really? That's what's at stake here? "Israel's right to exist?" 1982 is
calling. It wants its *hasbara* back. *

[...]

The stage was set for the clash with Luria on Sunday, when Sanders said he
would continue his practice of skipping the annual AIPAC conference.

“I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who
express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights,” Sanders tweeted.
<https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1231709010430189570?s=20>

In a second tweet
<https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1231709011688480768?s=20>, he
added, “As president, I will support the rights of both Israelis and
Palestinians and do everything possible to bring peace and security to the
region.”

Luria, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, responded within 24
hours.

“This is exactly the kind of *divisive politics* that gets in the way of
the U.S.-Israel partnership,” she said Monday. “It’s truly disappointing
[for him] to *malign other people within the party who are strong
supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship*.”

[*What Luria is denouncing as "divisive politics" is a complete no-brainer
among most Democrats who care about this. Warren is also skipping
AIPAC. MoveOn, Indivisible and the Working Families Party have called for
boycott. J Street isn't calling for a boycott, but their critique of AIPAC
includes what Bernie said. And who decided that Luria would be a spox for
House Democrats on this? That is left as an exercise for the reader. Hint:
the answer has something to do with San Francisco.*

*What is Luria saying? Any Democrat deviating from the AIPAC Line is
"divisive politics." This is totalitarianism.*

*When did Bernie "malign other people within the party who are strong
supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship"?* *The implication is, merely
by skipping AIPAC and criticizing AIPAC, Bernie is "maligning" the poor
oppressed Democrats who are going. That's like saying, if I don't eat pork,
I'm maligning people who eat pork. This is totalitarianism.*]

AIPAC has been criticized for its strong support of the Israeli government
and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as international criticism
mounts of the country's treatment of Palestinians.

But the group has long touted itself as bipartisan and included leading
Democrats as well as Republicans at its annual conference. Luria has said *she
believes AIPAC offers a well-rounded perspective*. She has appeared onstage
at AIPAC’s conference, and *the group’s charitable arm funded her first
trip to Israel
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/three-reps-elect-from-virginia-and-maryland-visit-israel-before-swearing-in/2018/12/14/71127076-ffbf-11e8-862a-b6a6f3ce8199_story.html?tid=lk_inline_manual_29&itid=lk_inline_manual_29>,
weeks before she was sworn into office.*

[*Really? "Well-rounded perspective"?! You can have any kind of Model T you
want. As long as it supports Netanyahu.*]
Luria endorsed Biden last month, joined by fellow freshman moderate Reps.
Chrissy Houlahan [*#Famine5*] and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania. The former
vice president, she said, would “defeat Donald Trump and win in tough
districts like mine.”
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