It's "shameful" that several 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls plan not to attend this year's American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, and it shows there's a wing of the party base that is anti-Israel, Rep. Pete King said Friday.
"They are putting enormous pressure on these presidential candidates," the New York Republican told Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime." "In many ways, the Democratic leadership in the House caved into this type of pressure two weeks ago after they wouldn't initiate the denunciation of what Congresswoman [Ilhan] Omar said, without linking it with every other group in the world."
Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, have all said they won't be attending the AIPAC three-day conference starting Sunday in Washington D.C. In addition, former U.S. Reps. Beto O'Rourke and John Delaney have also said they won't attend.
Delaney blamed a scheduling conflict, but Sanders' policy director, Josh Orton, said he won't go because he is concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders "who have expressed bigotry and oppose a two-state solution," according to U.S. News and World Report.
Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are not anti-Israel or anti-Jewish, said King, but there is still a wing of the party who is. Both reportedly plan to attend the event.
"We need to stand with our closest ally in the Middle East, which is the most dangerous region in the world," said King. "Nobody has to agree with every stand that AIPAC takes. ... It shows this BDS Movement, the pro-Palestinian, critical of Israel movement, has really taken hold."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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