Bernie Sanders is speaking to huge and enthusiastic crowds across the US, ahead of the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday. Bob Daemmrich Polaris

Bernie Sanders, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, announced Sunday that he will not attend AIPAC’s annual conference.

He said no to the early March gathering because the powerful Israel lobby group provides a platform for “leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.”

Earlier this month, Elizabeth Warren was the first Democrat vying for the presidency to say she would not attend.

The Israeli people have the right to live in peace and security. So do the Palestinian people. I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason I will not attend their conference. 1/2 — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 23, 2020

ICYMI: @ewarren committed to #SkipAIPAC a few weeks ago.



We are happy that Warren decided to not normalize @AIPAC's unholy alliance of white nationalists, islamophobes, + antisemites and we look forward to other candidates joining her in this choice! pic.twitter.com/Crbw0UdZyi — IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNowOrg) February 21, 2020

AIPAC hit back hard at Sanders, calling his statement “truly shameful.”

The group tweeted that Sanders “has never attended our conference and that is evident from his outrageous comment.”

The right-wing organization – which nevertheless receives significant support from Democrats unwilling to challenge Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights – termed Sanders’ comment an “odious attack on this mainstream, bipartisan American political event.”

That Sanders has the political courage to reject an organization devoted to an apartheid state is yet another positive.



But @AIPAC doesn't mention that Sen. Warren also refused to attend because AIPAC, like Israel, is becoming a far-right rogue outcast https://t.co/3HYgvcziHH https://t.co/SV8LqDHQZP — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 24, 2020

But AIPAC is losing progressive support at the grassroots level and knows it.

The group has repeatedly provided a platform to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s bigoted prime minister – among many less prominent opponents of Palestinian human rights.

Sanders, whose campaign I support, has stated that Netanyahu is “a racist.”

Defenders of Israeli colonial expansion on Palestinian land and leaders of groups which have stood by as Israel has subjugated Palestinians for decades also spoke out on AIPAC’s behalf.

Bernie Sanders announces he is not going to @AIPAC. To be clear, has never attended and has no clue what the organization is about or what it stands for. Go back to defending Castro and socialist dictators. We will go back to defending peace, democracy, and our ally Israel. — Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 24, 2020

Sen. Sanders,



You won’t address 18,000 Americans of all backgrounds celebrating US-Israel ties. Shame.



You overlook core interests & values at heart of 🇺🇸🇮🇱 link. Shame.



You describe #AIPAC as a platform for bigotry. Shame.



You ignore AIPAC’s support for 2-state deal. Shame. https://t.co/zMSfUykj0c — David Harris (@DavidHarrisAJC) February 24, 2020

This is the Democratic front runner. https://t.co/uBrJzNmGTW — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 23, 2020

Among them was Senator Ted Cruz, who just days ago was accused of anti-Semitism for maliciously stating that presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg owns the media.

It’s almost as if he owns the media. https://t.co/0tVTBg0DtT — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 19, 2020

Here’s the exchange today between US @RepAndyLevin of Michigan and Sen. @tedcruz of Texas. Levin told Cruz: “I’ve dealt with anti-Semitism all my life. I don’t need you to explain it to me, Senator.” pic.twitter.com/wCZ9zobozL — Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) February 20, 2020

Bloomberg has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money to buy his way into the Democratic race, but it is factually wrong and bigoted of Cruz to say he owns the media.

In fact, Bloomberg founded and holds an 88 percent stake in media company Bloomberg LP.

That is one piece of the media, not all of it.

DMFI PAC and AIPAC ads

AIPAC’s attack against Sanders comes just days after the organization was roundly excoriated for vicious Facebook ads targeting congresswomen Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

McCollum vigorously pushed back, calling AIPAC a “hate group.” That language appears to be unprecedented from a member of Congress.

McCollum did not accept the organization’s attempted apology.

As Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, consolidates his frontrunner status, mainstream and pro-Israel organizations are escalating their political war against him.

AIPAC is now following the political action committee of Democratic Majority for Israel in seeking to undercut the Sanders campaign.

DMFI PAC, a group that funds political campaigns in support of Israel, ran ads against Sanders in both Iowa and Nevada.

The organization was worried enough about the support of grassroots Democrats for Palestinian rights that it focused instead on Sanders’ health and socialism.

Nevertheless, Sanders won the popular vote in both states, including a victory by a wide margin in Nevada.

Paul Begala, a CNN analyst and former adviser to President Bill Clinton, was forced to take a leave of absence from Democratic Majority for Israel when his affiliation with the group was trumpeted at the time of the ad campaign in Iowa.

Wait, so Democrats are calling for unity while @PaulBegala is on the board of an organization that is going on air to attack the Democratic front-runner, while Begala also appears on CNN to do political punditry. What is this? https://t.co/cZXFQo9TNJ pic.twitter.com/zJZifySKCD — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) January 28, 2020

I was not aware of this ad. The PAC that is running it is a separate entity from Democratic Majority for Israel, and I have no association with the PAC. Still, to avoid confusion, I will be taking a leave of absence from the DMFI board until the primary season is over. 1/2 https://t.co/sMGDHtZ9bj — Paul Begala (@PaulBegala) January 29, 2020

Paul was not aware of this ad because @DemMaj4Israel & DMFI PAC are in fact separate organizations.



Paul has always been a strong supporter of the US Israel relationship for which we are deeply grateful.



We look forward to welcoming him back after the primary season ends. https://t.co/APC0qHzUth — Democratic Majority for Israel (@DemMaj4Israel) January 29, 2020

That has not stopped political consultant Anton Gunn, also a board member of Democratic Majority for Israel, from commenting for MSNBC without revealing his links to the group.

I saw him speak critically about Sanders to MSNBC host Joy Reid Saturday night with no reference to his DMFI connection.

He apparently is not an official MSNBC contributor so the situation is less egregious than Begala’s, but the omission shortchanges viewers.

As a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, Democratic Majority for Israel is restricted from direct political activity. So like many such organizations, it has a legally separate political action committee, DMFI PAC, which raises taxable funds that can be used directly for political campaigns.

Although technically separate, DMFI PAC operates out of the same office and is linked directly from the website of Democratic Majority for Israel, reflecting how they work – by different means – for the same pro-Israel agenda.

Gunn ought to explain his connection to the organization and should consider either stepping away from DMFI during the presidential campaign or insist that his affiliation with the group be prominently noted during his television speaking engagements.

MSNBC, for its part, is only loaning greater credence to complaints of bias against Sanders that have multiplied with the sickening Nazi-Sanders comparisons made by anchors Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd in recent days.

The ugliness is just getting started.

Pushback is imperative.

This is a wake-up moment for the American power establishment.



Many in this elite are behaving like aristocrats in a dying regime — including in media.



It’s time for many to step up, rethink, and understand the dawn of what may be a new era in America.pic.twitter.com/tr2jpTD7YY — Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) February 23, 2020