AIPAC motivates attendees

GEOFFREY DRUKER

The AIPAC Policy Conference earlier this month in Washington, D.C., was my first. If I can help it, it won’t be my last. Going to an AIPAC conference should be one of those things you do at least once in a lifetime.

Imagine more than 12,000 pro-Israel leaders and supporters – Jewish and non-Jewish – gathered to learn, engage and advocate. It was much like drinking your favorite drink from a fire hose. Not only do you hear from leading decision-makers, but you have an opportunity to learn from those who formulate policy in a classroom-type setting. For example, Aaron David Miller was one of 12 Americans at Camp David when Ehud Barak met with Yasser Arafat. He stated that the goal now should be to reach a conflict-ending agreement, rather than “peace.” Israel has had a peace agreement with Egypt for decades and still no Egyptian textbook includes a map of Israel, but the goal of a peaceful border has been achieved.

If you wanted to learn more about Israel’s achievements, its history, anti-Israel campaigns in Europe or the latest developments in the Middle East and Iran, there were more than 150 breakout sessions with the brightest minds and most up-to-date information.

Some of the highlights included a panel with Senator John McCain and former Israeli intelligence chief Amos Yadlin. McCain opened by turning to Yadlin and saying, “We both flew similar airplanes, only you shot down enemy planes, while I was shot down....” Yadlin expressed his concern that 2012 has come and gone, and the Iranians are now one year closer to creating a nuclear bomb. “What is required is an operation, not a war,” he said. “As a pilot, I always had three principles: never panic, never be euphoric, be slightly paranoid.”

We heard expert analysis from former presidential advisors Ambassador Dennis Ross and Elliott Abrams, moderated by Dan Senor (co-author of Start-Up Nation). We heard commitments to support

Israel from U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Senate Minority Whip John Cronyn and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez.

From Israel, we heard Barak, in what might be his last public talk as the Israeli defence minister. And we met Israeli innovators and scientists. But, as a Canadian though, my proudest moment was seeing Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird receive countless standing ovations from the tens of thousands of delegates, as he explained why the government of Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish state.

Even though the focus of this conference was on U.S.-Israel relations, Canada’s global leadership was featured too. Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs chief executive officer Shimon Fogel moderated a breakout session on Canada’s multi-partisan support for Israel. The panel included three current members of Parliament: MP Irwin Cotler (Liberal), MP Robert Dechert (Conservative) and MP Hélène Laverdière (NDP). All three parliamentarians discussed how support for the Jewish state represents a truly Canadian value, crossing all political lines.

Baird and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Gary Doer addressed more than 65 Canadian delegates at a private dinner reception hosted by CIJA and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC). Vancouver was well represented, including a large group from Congregation Schara Tzedeck led by Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt.

The conference culminated with delegates heading to Capitol Hill to lobby their elected officials on strengthening U.S.-Israel ties. For the first time in AIPAC history, advocates met every member of the United States Senate and Congress, 545 in total.

I attended a meeting with Israel’s representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ron Prosor. His message summarized what each of us took away from the conference, and hopefully to our advocacy efforts here in Vancouver.

“We all remember fondly,” said Prosor, “those two elderly men [Statler and Waldorf] from the Muppet Show, who would sit atop the theatre balcony sniping that, ‘This is lousy and that is not good.’ Well, it’s time that we leave the balcony. It’s time that we get down onto the stage ourselves and get involved.”

As a member of the local board of CIJA, I am excited that our community will be holding its own conference. On May 5, CIJA will be hosting the first annual Western Regional Policy Conference at the Segal School of Business downtown. More than 300 attendees will learn, engage with policy leaders and gain the skills necessary for effective advocacy for both Canada-Israel relations and social issues important to all. Speakers will include Ambassador Ross, Israel’s Ambassador to Canada Miriam Ziv and many others.

Now is the time to show that we, as a community, will no longer just comment from the balcony, but stand on stage and play an active role. Sign up today for the regional conference at cija.ca/events/policy-conference and take advantage of the early bird special, which expires April 5.

Geoffrey Druker is a member of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs/Pacific Region Local Partnership Council. He is also co-chair of the 2013 CIJA Western Regional Policy Conference.

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