Tom Dine, executive director of AIPAC from 1980-1993, is extremely worried that the organization’s controversial decision to endorse and fund congressional candidates who refused to certify the 2020 election will prove to be an “existential mistake.” 

The pro-Israel lobby has “walked into a trap they set themselves” and are now being seen as supporting “antidemocratic” forces, he tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer on Haaretz Weekend. The current AIPAC leadership's efforts to defend their choice with “no apologies” is “bullshit,” he says bluntly.

“There is no compromise when it comes to democracy,” Dine says. “If you get too many people saying AIPAC ought to go out of business, it's no longer relevant – then you don't have the grassroots support that I think is essential.”

Also on the show, Haaretz reporter Judy Maltz explains why it seems that just as many – or more – Ukrainian Jews fleeing the war in their homeland are heading to Berlin instead of immigrating to Israel. With Germany offering them free housing, and a community of former Soviet Jews already settled there to welcome them, “for many of them it makes more sense to go to Germany.”

Tom Dine, executive director of AIPAC from 1980-1993, is extremely worried that the organization&rsquo;s controversial decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-aipac-endorsed-election-deniers-but-its-new-project-touts-democracy-1.10692940" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-aipac-endorsed-election-deniers-but-its-new-project-touts-democracy-1.10692940">endorse</a>&nbsp;and fund congressional candidates who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium.HIGHLIGHT-truly-horrifying-aipac-criticized-for-endorsing-gop-election-deniers-1.10660547" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium.HIGHLIGHT-truly-horrifying-aipac-criticized-for-endorsing-gop-election-deniers-1.10660547">refused</a>&nbsp;to certify the 2020 election will prove to be an &ldquo;existential mistake.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/tags/TAG-aipac-1.5598908" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/tags/TAG-aipac-1.5598908">pro-Israel lobby</a>&nbsp;has &ldquo;walked into a trap they set themselves&rdquo; and are now being seen as supporting &ldquo;antidemocratic&rdquo; forces, he tells host&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/WRITER-1.4969038" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/WRITER-1.4969038">Allison Kaplan Sommer</a>&nbsp;on Haaretz Weekend. The current AIPAC leadership's efforts to defend their choice with &ldquo;no apologies&rdquo; is &ldquo;bullshit,&rdquo; he says bluntly.
&ldquo;There is no compromise when it comes to democracy,&rdquo; Dine says. &ldquo;If you get too many people saying AIPAC ought to go out of business, it's no longer relevant &ndash; then you don't have the grassroots support that I think is essential.&rdquo;
Also on the show, Haaretz reporter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/WRITER-1.4969107" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/WRITER-1.4969107">Judy Maltz</a>&nbsp;explains why it seems that just as many &ndash; or more &ndash; Ukrainian Jews fleeing the war in their homeland are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/.premium.HIGHLIGHT.MAGAZINE-why-jewish-refugees-from-ukraine-are-choosing-germany-over-israel-1.10683294" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/.premium.HIGHLIGHT.MAGAZINE-why-jewish-refugees-from-ukraine-are-choosing-germany-over-israel-1.10683294">heading to Berlin instead of immigrating to Israel</a>. With Germany offering them free housing, and a community of former Soviet Jews already settled there to welcome them, &ldquo;for many of them it makes more sense to go to Germany.&rdquo;

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Advertisement