In 1963, AIPAC was created to promote US-Israel relations and to defend American Jews. However, as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism for his staunchly anti-Palestine policies, AIPAC has been attacked for its unwavering support for Netanyahu. In allowing Netanyahu to continue his assault on Palestine, AIPAC is rejecting Jewish values and American Jews must now reject AIPAC.

The value of each and every human life is one of the most important Jewish beliefs and is firmly stated in every Jewish text. The Talmud, a book of Jewish law, goes as far as to say, “one person was created to teach us the sanctity and importance of every life, for one who destroys a single life is considered by scripture to have destroyed an entire world.” Despite this text, AIPAC continues its support of a man who is responsible for the destruction of thousands of lives. 

According to the Human Rights Watch, nearly 100,000 Palestinians have either died, been displaced, or “had their lives been made miserable” in 2018 due to the Israeli government.  Netanyahu is responsible for the misery of so many human beings, and by supporting him and his regime, AIPAC is directly going against the Jewish belief that each life is equally important and that all must be helped. 

Fortunately for Jews who wish to support Israel while still standing for Human Rights, as the Torah and Talmud say they should, AIPAC is not the only option. The JStreetPAC was established in 2008 as a way for Jewish-Americans to support Israel while also advocating for the resolve of the Israel-Palestine conflict. JStreet, unlike AIPAC, does not stand obediently by Netanyahu as he attacks the Palestinian people. 

Instead, JStreet understands that the Torah promotes equality and condemns the murder of innocent people, and therefore are opposed to the continued annexation of Palestine and the attacks on its people. JStreet proves to AIPAC that it is possible to support Israel while holding on to Jewish values. 

It is now time for American Jews to stand up to the violence of Netanyahu’s government and reject the notion that the only way to support Israel is by supporting the murder of thousands of Palestinian citizens each year. AIPAC is not representative of Jewish values and as Jews, we must stand up for basic human rights, something AIPAC has declined to do. It is time for this country to say goodbye to AIPAC and bring an era of Jewish liberalism that actually follows the words of the Torah. •