The American Israel Public Affairs Committee {AIPAC] has launched a drive to take over student government at the University of California at Berkeley, the organization’s Leadership Development Director announced at last week’s annual conference in Washington.

Here’s the money quote from Jonathan Kessler, made to student leaders drawn fom 370 campuses, including representatives from all 50 states:

How are we going to beat back the anti-Israel divestment resolution at Berkeley? We’re going to make certain that pro-Israel students take over the student government and reverse the vote. That is how AIPAC operates in our nation’s capitol. This is how AIPAC must operate on our nation’s campuses.

Also included among those chosen to address the students was attorney and militant Zionist Alan Dershowitz, who, reports JTA reporter Ben Harris, was “greeted like a rock star.”

Here’s Harris’s report [HT to Pulse]:

Kessler’s remarks were aimed at the March 18 16-4 vote by the Associated Students of the University of California Berkeley Senate to support a resolution calling for the university to divest from investment in companies providing military support to Israel.

The resolution was vetoed by ASUC president Will Smelko on March 24.