Aipac (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), for reasons I have never understood, wields a lot of influence towards continuing discord between Israel and Palestine. Now it seems, Steve Rosen, Aipac’s former second in command and blamed for previous failed peace talks between the two governments. Rosen was indicted under the espionage act, fired, received $670,000 from a dozen supporters and is now suing his former employer.
Rosen is asking $20M or he will release damning evidence of AIPACs board relating to his charges but the good news is AIPAC may be too busy to interfere with peace talks.
There is great cause for celebration in Aipac’s fight to stave off extinction because a bleeding, flailing Aipac is far less dangerous than an Aipac riding high (which is where it usually rides).
Here is what Aipac would like to be devoting its energies and financial resources to right now. One, making sure that President Obama is unable to pressure Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to freeze settlements and move to final status negotiations. And, two, boxing the president in so that he has no choice but to either strike Iran’s nuclear facilities or, more likely, let Israel do it. In fact, it is already planning its huge spring “policy conference,” slated to be devoted to warmongering over Iran followed by congressional passage of Aipac-drafted Iran-must-be-stopped resolutions.
These are immense undertakings and they take lots of money and lots of time.
But, thanks to Rosen, Aipac is spending $10mn of its donors’ money on legal fees. Its top people are working with lawyers virtually nonstop. And the whole place is in the grips of fear – fear that one former employee who has the goods on Aipac will bring the whole house down.
