Why Is AIPAC Silent on Syrian Refugees?Hate to break it to you, Peter, but AIPAC doesn't define itself as a Jewish organization. It's mission statement is concise and clear: "The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of Israel and the United States."
Many American Jewish groups balance the Holocaust’s tribal and universal lessons. The most powerful one doesn’t even try.
...While the organizations that petitioned Congress on behalf of Syrian refugees respond to both halves of the Holocaust analogy, they don’t wield much power in Washington. They’re far less influential than AIPAC, which focuses only on the first. AIPAC leaders invoke the Holocaust constantly, but only to imply that Israel’s enemies are Nazis, never to suggest that non-Jews suffering oppression deserve help. That’s why AIPAC won’t weigh in on Syrian refugees.
AIPAC was not founded to give statements on gun control or Medicare or abortion or Syrian refugees.
Except, of course, when mention of those refugees could help Israel. So for example, in a case that Beinart probably considers "Syrian-washing," AIPAC proudly reported that Israel was helping hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan through IsraAID.
Or, for example, back in 2012 AIPAC wrote with sympathy for the refugees as i discussed the ramifications towards Israel's neighbors of accepting so many refugees. It even discussed the possibility of jihadists hiding among those refugees. It is an issue that might affect Israel so AIPAC discussed it, as it should.
So AIPAC is not ignoring the issue - AIPAC only deals with it the way it deals with all issues, through the prism of the Israel-American relationship. Nothng nefarious, as Beinart wants you to believe.
Beinart is no dope. He knows what I am writing is true. But he wants to separate the American Jewish public from AIPAC, which he considers evil. So he trots out the straw man that AIPAC is a major Jewish organization that is too immoral to issue a statement of support for Syrian refugees.
Peter Beinart wants to impose his own bizarre opinions about Israel to the US government, and AIPAC is in his way. So he creates scenarios to smear AIPAC. His articles about Syrian refugees are smokescreens for his pushing his political agenda - whether it is anti-AIPAC or anti-Republican.
Beinart's pretense of concern over the Syrian refugee crisis is a sham. Itiis an excuse to bash those groups he finds objectionable no matter what they do. Based on the articles I linked to from AIPAC about the issue, AIPAC is using the issue when it fits their mission, just like Beinart is using the issue to fit his mission. Only AIPAC's mission is cheering Israel's accomplishments, and Beinart's mission is to tell the world how terrible Israel is.
