Large Protest expected at AIPAC dinner, Monday evening

Peace groups to protest at AIPAC Lobby Dinner in Oakland Monday evening.
“Say NO to a Lobby for War”

Details: Protest at AIPAC membership Dinner.
Monday, December 17-- 6pm – 8pm

The protest will be a nonviolent vigil outside the Marriot hotel (11th and Broadway, Downtown Oakland) the venue for the AIPAC dinner that is attended by AIPAC members and supporting politicians.


A wide coalition of peace, justice and human rights groups will protest at Monday’s AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) “membership dinner” in Oakland. AIPAC continues to push for escalation against Iran --despite a release this week of the National Intelligence Estimate that flatly rejects AIPAC’s key rationale for such action, specifically that Iran will have nuclear weapons in the immediate future unless punitive sanctions or military attack is considered. AIPAC also lobbies for billions more in US aid to Israel despite Israel’s continued military occupation of Palestine.

“Stop AIPAC” is organizing this protest because we believe that peace will be achieved in the Middle East by applying international law and the support of human rights for all. It will not come if US politicians continue unconditional support for policies of one side in the dispute, but that is exactly what is supported by the AIPAC lobby. We further believe that all nuclear weapons (including the massive nuclear stockpile of the US and Israel’s own nuclear weapons) together pose a threat to humanity, and therefore we call for genuine global nuclear disarmament. The US is violating its own domestic laws by sending military aid to Israel when it is a nuclear state that is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This hypocrisy limits positive influence the US may have to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

“We must end support for Israeli occupation of Palestine. We are sending our tax dollars to Israel as it demolishes homes in the West Bank, even while we need more funding to build homes in West Oakland; these are not the values of a progressive community such as Oakland” says Jim Harris of Stop AIPAC. “Stop AIPAC” will be joined by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Says Mo Shooer of JVP “We want to make clear that AIPAC does not speak for us and the U.S. policies it advocates that are destructive to Israelis and Palestinians.”

Groups endorsing the Protest include:
Middle East Children's Alliance • Jewish Voice for Peace • Alameda Party Green Party • Bay Area Women in Black • International Solidarity Movement - Northern California • United for Peace and Justice, Bay Area • Break the Siege • East Bay Peace Action • Berkeley Women in Black • East Bay Coalition for Self-rule for Iraqis (EB-COSSI)