The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading pro-Israel lobby in the US, has indicated to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that they can voice criticism of Israel's bid to apply sovereignty on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria so long as they don't take concrete steps to sabotage it, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on Wednesday.
Such a stance is rare for AIPAC, which staunchly defends Israel in Washington. It has yet to make an official statement on the sovereignty move.
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"Two sources – a congressional aide and a donor – say AIPAC is delivering that guidance in Zoom meetings and phone calls with lawmakers. The message is unusual because the group assiduously discourages public criticism of Israel," JTA reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that he would likely go ahead with the move as part of his government's expected embrace of the Trump administration's peace plan.
The plan allows Israel to apply its laws to settlements and the Jordan Valley, so long as it does not infringe on areas that are designated for a future Palestinian state. That state will only be established if the Palestinians meet a strict set of criteria and no longer pose a threat to Israel – and only after four years of proving themselves – but settler leaders have voiced concern that it would become a terrorist hotbed.
"AIPAC does not encourage members of Congress to criticize the government of Israel," Adam Harris told JTA. "Our role is to strengthen the relationship between the two allies ... It is inevitable that there will be areas of political or policy disagreement between leaders on both sides – as there are between America and all our allies," AIPAC's statement said.
According to JTA, "telling lawmakers that they were free to criticize Israel, while short of encouraging them to do so, was nonetheless a departure from past practice."
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