Hillary Comes to AIPAC
Gilbert N. Kahn is a professor of Political Science at Kean University.
Hillary arrived to accomplish four things in addressing the AIPAC policy conference, was received with enthusiasm and walked away having touched all the bases. As she moved through her speech she hit all the key issues that the Jewish community needed to hear; she created separation from Obama to demonstrate she would be her own person; and she repeatedly hit the Republican aspirants without ever mentioning them by name. All this she did while looking presidential and totally in command of the issues.
She spoke to terrorism, to Iran, and to Israel de-legitimization. Her remarks demonstrated a familiarity with the issues. At the same time she repeatedly hit hard on the failings of the Palestinian Authority as well as Iran’s accountability for much of the regional chaos.
With respect to the President she tried to distance herself by suggesting she would invite the Israeli Prime Minister to the White House soon after she took office; urged that the pending Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for military assistance for Israel for the next decade be expeditiously completed; and specifically attacked failing to call out Abbas directly and specifically for not fighting the current scourge of violent terrorist attacks.
Clinton’s most obvious hits, however, were reserved for the Republicans coming to speak this evening, especially Trump. She repeatedly mentioned that one cannot be neutral on Israel; not everything in politics is negotiable; and we need to push world leaders to fight with us against terrorism.
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