Mic Check Inside AIPAC: "No War On Iran!"

For Immediate Release 

March 5, 2012

Contact:
Rae Abileah, CODEPINK codirector & Occupy AIPAC organizer, 415-994-1723
Rick Colbath-Hess, 617-354-6471

Citizens Occupy AIPAC Policy Conference and Mic Check Cong. Ros-Lehtinen:
Use Diplomacy, Not War on Iran

Washington, DC—An AIPAC Policy Conference panel titled “Stopping Iran” had some unexpected speakers: activists with Occupy AIPAC who stood up and “mic checked” Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Israeli Ambassador Jeremy Issacharoff.  At about 2pm on March 5, four activists called out AIPAC for pushing for American support for an Israeli attack on Iran.  One activist was violently attacked by an AIPAC member who used his tie to strangle the peaceful protester.  Later in the afternoon two activists unfurled a "Don't Bomb Iran" banner inside the AIPAC hall.  Security promptly pushed them out of the hall, and also forcefully removed an AIPAC delegate who had nothing to do with the action, but was taken out for being a bystander. 

The full People’s Microphone inside the panel said:

“Mic check!
Ros-Lehtinen is pushing war
based on lies.
We are the 99%
Wars benefit the 1%
Don’t bomb Iran!
Diplomacy not bombs.
AIPAC supports endless war.
We support peace.
Occupy Wall Street not Iran.
Occupy Wall Street not Palestine.
No war on Iran.”

Shortly after the people's mic began, the crowd of AIPAC attendees reacted forcefully. Some of them climbed over chairs to reach the demonstrators, and one of the disruptors, Rick Colbath-Hess, was violently yanked down to the floor by his necktie. After the mic-check, Laura Kacere of Occupy DC and Ridgely Fuller of CODEPINK and Occupy Boston both stood on top of chairs and chanted “Don’t bomb Iran!” The AIPAC crowd responded by singing the Israeli national anthem, led by Representative Ros-Lehtinen, and the activists were eventually escorted out.

“As an active member of the Occupy movement, I believe it is important for people to recognize that AIPAC doesn’t represent American or Jewish interests, but the interests of the 1%,” said Laura Kacere, 25 years old from Washington DC. “AIPAC demonstrates this through its powerful grip over Congress, influencing our government to make choices that do not reflect the best interest of the 99%. In this case, AIPAC is pushing for war on Iran which would be disastrous not only for Iran, Israel, and the entire Middle East, but for the US as well.”

According to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Cong. Ros-Lehtinen has received $243,240 in campaign contributions from the Israel Lobby, including $34,500 in the last election alone. She recently introduced a House companion to Senator Lieberman’s Senate Resolution 380, which seeks to lower the threshold for the US attacking Iran. 

“The Obama administration needs to focus on diplomacy rather than be dragged into another war we can’t afford,” said Rick Colbath-Hess, 52 from Cambridge, MA.  “In the past three years, the Obama administration has had discussions with the Iranian government for only 45 minutes –that is hardly what one would call ‘diplomacy.’”

Outside the convention center, Occupy AIPAC demonstrations continued today with a protest against war on Iran staged in front of the White House, where President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss Iran.

The Occupy AIPAC coalition is gathering to urge Obama to reject the Israeli administration’s push for war on Iran and insist on respect for Palestinian rights. Timed to coincide with the annual AIPAC policy conference from March 3-6, Occupy AIPAC aims to draw attention to the dangerous role of AIPAC as a special interest lobby that maintains a stranglehold over US policies. As the Occupy Movement has focused public ire on the role of large corporations and powerful lobby groups, hundreds have gathered in DC to protest AIPAC’s push for war.

How The Israel Lobby Harms The 99%: Occupy AIPAC

Hundreds chanting outside AIPAC's annual conference after Israel's best buddy Obama spoke March 4. Besides threatening Iran with military action, the U.S. president absurdly maintained: “we will always reject the notion that Zionism is racism."

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has more influence over your government and your tax dollars than you do. Each year they hold a conference in Washington DC where they train thousands to lobby Congress for continued military aid to Israel in the form of credits for weapons systems. This is a 1% dream scenario, corporate welfare for defense contractors.

And if you're going to sell weapons, you need to have wars. So a major focus of the AIPAC conference this year is also promoting a preemptive strike on Iran. Because they might be developing the capability to build nuclear weapons of mass destruction. If this claim gives you the sensation of deja vu, it's because AIPAC was a key player in making similar claims about Iraq in the run up to attacking that country in 2003.



Occupy AIPAC is this year's version of an annual effort to bring attention to the immense, pernicious influence of the Israel lobby. CODEPINK organizer Rae Abileah explained:

Each year at AIPAC's policy conference in Washington, D.C., the president, powerful senators and members of Congress parade across the stage in order to prove their loyalty to the Israeli government... AIPAC Director Howard Kohr will likely appear on stage this March at the 2012 AIPAC conference to make the annual roll call, rattling off the names of congressional representatives, diplomats and dignitaries present in the room as if he is the auctioneer at an estate sale. And in a way, he is.

Jeffrey Blankfort summed it up at the excellent Occupy AIPAC summit on Saturday when he said that the role of AIPAC is to "shape the opinion of the American public, and keep Congress in line as well." How this is accomplished was the focus of the summit, and I promise to report in more detail on excellent contributions from Phyllis Bennis, Allison Weir, Chris Hedges, and many more. (Go here for my live-tweets from the summit using the hashtag #OccupyAIPAC.)

A good weekend of action which allowed me to meet people who regularly contribute to my education (Philip Weiss of Mondoweiss! Josh Ruebner of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation ); the chance to hug people I was formerly only facebook "friends" with (Elizabeth Barger of The Farm! Nancy Krickorian of the Stolen Beauty Ahava boycott campaign!); and the chance to be in action with my Pink sisters (Ann Wright, Joan Stallard, Ridgely Fuller and Desiree Fairooz to name only a few that were on hand) as well as CP's hard-working staff, and a slew of new acquaintances.

Strong leadership by Palestinian young women was a feature of this year's protest of AIPAC.

Why I Am Going To Occupy AIPAC. Won't You Come Too?

I am going to occupy AIPAC in solidarity with my sisters who were assaulted last year: Rae Abileah in Congress during Netanyahu's speech, plus four activists inside the AIPAC gala.



What is AIPAC? An acronym for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group that makes sure $3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel (the 5th wealthiest nation in the world) continues every year, pressuring Congress and the White House on various foreign policies by means of campaign contributions and other inducements. AIPAC could be the poster child for the baneful effects of money on government decried by the 99%.

Source: the fabulous artists of Occupy NH Primary.

I am going to occupy AIPAC because a war with Iran would be large scale disastrous for the world.

I am going to occupy AIPAC because my government targets people organizing to bring attention to apartheid and injustice in Palestine, harassing activists by means of search warrants, theft of their property, grand jury subpoenas, and terrorism charges; and that makes me scared, but I am inspired to face down my fear.

I am going to occupy AIPAC because I want Congress to bring our war dollars home from Israel. I want U.S. troops to stay out of Israel, and I'll bet you their moms and dads want this, too. The federal government no longer represents the 99%, so I take to the streets.

I am going to occupy AIPAC because I have never been in direct action targeting AIPAC. It's a dirty rotten job, but somebody's got to do it.

Apartheid wall at Move Over AIPAC actions in DC last March.

In solidarity with many inspiring organizers who have made it their life work to witness for the truth of the unholy alliance between NATO and the current regime in Israel, on behalf of the 1%, and to further my own learning, I will occupy AIPAC.

Go here to register, see a schedule of events for Mar 2-6 in Washington DC, and learn more about how to Occupy AIPAC, not Palestine.