The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) kicked off its annual politically star-studded Policy Conference Saturday night. It’s an event the entire pro-Israel world waits for each year. AIPAC is the largest group to lobby on behalf of the Jewish State in the country.
More than two-thirds of the U.S. Congress, at least 18,000 pro-Israel Americans and countless political, religious and Jewish community leaders from across the United States and Israel gather each year in Washington DC to attend this event — and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is always a headliner.
For the past two years the prime minister has delivered remarks via satellite hookup, but Netanyahu boarded a plane Saturday night and is expected to land in Washington early Sunday. He is slated to speak in person at this year’s AIPAC conference on Tuesday, the day after he is scheduled to meet at the White House for talks with President Donald Trump. Some 18,000 people are expected in the audience.
Other speakers from Israel include IDF Maj.Gen. (Res.) Ya’akov Amidror; Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat; former Ambassador Danny Ayalon; Diaspora Affairs and Education Minister Naftali Bennett; Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon; Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay; IDC Herzliya Institute for Policy & Strategy Chair, Maj.Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad; Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi; MK Sharon Haskel; Knesset Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog; MK Tzipi Livni; Dr. Eviatar Matania, former director-general of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate; Chemi Peres, chairman of the board of directors, Peres Center for Peace; Yotam Polizer, co-CEO, IsraAID; Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked; MK Ofer Shelah; Infrastructure and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz; MK Einat Wilf; Binyamin Zomer, Noble Energy country manager.
Top speakers from the United States include U.S. Vice President Mike Pence; Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman; Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi; and Democratic Leader of the U.S. Senate Chuck Schumer; among numerous others.
