38 April 4 • 2019 jn 2019 AIPAC Policy Conference Editor’ s Note: Mark Jacobs provided daily coverage of the annual AIPAC Policy Conference (March 24-26) for the Jewish News on its website, thejewishnews.com. Below is a summary of his dispatches. T he 2019 AIPAC Policy Conference kicked off March 24 amid a new wave of crit- icism and controversy against the organization and a momentous Israeli election on April 9. More than 600 speakers from 21 countries were sched- uled to appear, includ- ing Vice President Michael Pence, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Shumer. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his lead- ing political rivals Benny Gantz and Naftali Bennett were also to address the conference. More than 18,000 were expected to attend, including about 6,000 first-timers and 3,600 col- lege students. MARCH 24 Whether you were a first-timer or a veteran attendee, there’ s no denying that this is one heck of a production. The mere scale and professionalism are grand and polished. There may be a swirl of controversy about AIPAC and Israel outside of the Washington Convention Center, but inside these walls, the enthusiasm for the U.S.- Israel relationship is giddy, unified and thunderous. Security was, as expected, out in full force, from the armored trucks blocking the streets outside to the bomb-sniffing dogs as you entered the building. Once inside, the atmosphere felt calm, safe and festive. The opening moments of the conference are always touching, as the event begins with the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by Israel’ s national anthem, “Hatikvah” — sung by a former IDF tank commander. The opening session included a diverse group of pro-Israel activists, people from different age groups, faiths and ethnicities, all introducing themselves and then proudly declar- ing, “I stand with AIPAC.” Howard Kohr, AIPAC’ s CEO, then delivered his annual address, but with a tone that seemed more ominous than pre- vious years: “We’ re being challenged in a way,” he warned, “that is new and far more aggressive.” The intent of our critics and enemies, he added, “is not meant to inform, but to demonize us.” The large crowd was then treat- ed to a massive sing-along led by “Koolalum,” an Israeli social mo ve- ment that produces international cho- ruses of participants from all different backgrounds, often Arabs and Jews. After a few rehearsals, suddenly the massive screens cut to a live audience in Jerusalem of thousands of people at the Tower of David singing and sway- ing simultaneously with the AIPAC crowd: “Sing out loud — together we’ ll come through.” It was an incredibly touching and uplifting moment. We then heard from a number of “progressive” pro-Israel Democrats, and all were warmly and politely embraced by the crowd. A leader of the new “Democratic Majority for Israel” presented, as did a member of the Knesset from the Labor Party who was surprisingly and sharply critical of the government. (“We are stuck in this conflict; we need a two-state solution with equal rights and opportunities for Jews and Arabs.”) Rabbi Dan Gordis, the esteemed scholar/writer from Israel, delivered a positive and comforting message. He reminded the group that despite all the enormous problems the Jewish people face, “We’ re doing great! When have we ever been in better shape than now? These are the greatest days of the Jewish people in 2,000 years.” MARCH 25 A hard, sad reality hit the conference, just as it does to Israel from time to time. News arrived that Hamas rock- ets had landed deep into Israel. A house near Tel Aviv was struck and seven people were injured. Was this merely an isolated occurrence? Might a larger conflict be imminent? Would Hezbollah in the north also strike? Another day of violence, fear and sad- ness in Israel. Just hours earlier, Prime Minister Netanyahu’ s chief political rival, Benny Gantz, had addressed the group and boasted of his military bona fides. “I am a soldier,” he said. “That’ s who I am. That’ s what I do.” Gantz made clear that he “would not hesitate to use force when need- ed.” His words seemed more prophetic as developments from Israel came in throughout the day. The day also included a segment highlighting the incredible story of Israel’ s space mission to the moon. The head of NASA told the crowd that this will make Israel only the fourth nation ever to achieve such a feat. The NASA chief brought the crowd to a thunderous ovation by proclaiming, “Israel — small country. Big dreams.” Vice President Pence then addressed the crowd. He cited the administra- tion’ s support for Israel, punctuated with frequent applause lines, and shared that President Donald Trump formally announced U.S. recogni- tion of the Golan Heights as part of Israel. He ended by declaring that the administration and the pro-Israel community are mishpachah (which eretz Mark Jacobs Linda and Mark Jacobs enjoy a light moment at the AIPAC Policy Conference. A former IDF commander sang “Hatikvah.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK JACOBS