AIPAC, again

So Our President addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee again, and he said blah, blah, blah... I don't care.

What particularly annoys me is how the major media, including the "left leaning" NPR and New York Times, refer to AIPAC — either as the "pro-Israel" lobby, or, worse yet, the "Jewish" lobby. AIPAC is not "pro-Israel," it is pro-Likud. It does not now, nor has it ever represented Kadima, much less Labor. It does not now, nor has it ever represented progressive American Jews — and such Jews still are not in short supply. AIPAC is just another lobby, funded like every other lobby — by the very rich. Yes, they're very rich Jews, for the most part, but so what?

I suppose there are a bunch of rabbis preaching right-wing Israeli politics from the pulpit — but let me assure you, American politicians, that their congregations are not listening. The elderly regulars, who just keep davening no matter what else is happening, stopped listening to anything years ago — and the family and guests of the Bar Mitzvah boy are just thinking about how much longer it will be before they get to chow down on the kiddush.

Unless AIPAC comes up with a hell of a lot of money for a particular politician's campaign, I think it can, finally, be safely ignored. Nevertheless, isn't it time for some very rich progressive Jews, both in Israel and the United States, to fund some competition?