SAN DIEGO (SDJW)– You won’t see any news report on San Diego Jewish World about the Iran nuclear pact discussion at Tifereth Israel Synagogue on Wednesday evening, August 5, because it was closed to the media so that attendees “could feel comfortable” discussing their views, according to a spokesman for AIPAC that sponsored the discussion.
On the one hand, we are told by AIPAC which is involved in a multi-million dollar campaign to defeat the P5 +1 agreement with Iran that this is one of the most important issues facing the American people, yet AIPAC decides that you readers — and anyone else who was unable to travel on Wednesday night to the Conservative synagogue in the San Carlos region of San Diego — should not be permitted to read about it.
I don’t know how you will feel, but I believe AIPAC’s attitude is counter-productive. Instead of limiting information to the hundred or so people who attended the meeting in which Tifereth Israel was joined by Chabad of East County, Temple Emanu-El and Ohr Shalom Synagogue, news coverage could have brought the issues to many more people, all of whom are just as vitally affected as those people who could attend the forum.
We call on AIPAC to explain its policy, to tell the Jewish community and others what they are afraid of. Why do they feel that open discussion, honestly reported, will be harmful to their efforts to inform the public? What don’t they want the general public to know?
This veil of secrecy placed on discussions of public policy can’t help but make people suspicious of AIPAC’s role in this national debate — no matter what might have been said at Wednesday night’s forum. If, indeed AIPAC loses the confidence of the American Jewish people by following such policies, it will have only itself to blame.
— Donald H. Harrison, editor, San Diego Jewish World
I am the AIPAC San Diego board chairman and I would like to address the author’s concerns about AIPAC’s media policy. Last night’s town hall meeting was open to the public and promoted by the four diverse synagogues (mentioned in the article) to their entire congregations. In addition, the event information was circulated on a widely distributed community email list. All were welcome to attend and no one was turned away. The event was simply off the record to the media, per the policy for every AIPAC event across the country. The reason for this policy is to encourage and open and frank discussion. The only AIPAC event that is on the record to the press is the annual Policy Conference in Washington DC. Also, AIPAC staff outside the D.C. office do not speak to the media as a policy. All official press contact is handled by the media relations department in the Washington DC office. AIPAC’s opposition to the Iran deal is fully explained on its website http://www.aipac.org where everyone is able to read it. I encourage anyone curious about AIPAC’s position to refer to the website. Furthermore, all are welcome to call the local AIPAC office to ask questions or discuss further.
At its request, The Times of San Diego has reprinted this column.
http://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2015/08/06/why-aipac-veil-of-secrecy-on-iran-n-deal-forum/
FB comment from Michael Bennett, San Diego:
Why would any thinking person (listen) to AIPAC, the mouthpiece of any current Israeli government?
Don,
I think that your response is naive and wrong regarding AIPAC. I believe that the thought to keep that event off the record, which is standard at all AIPAC events, was to protect the audience and have the ability to have a productive discussion. It seems you forget what happened at UCSB with the Israeli Ambassador and many other events. AIPAC’s goal is to impart knowledge and strengthen the US relationship with Israel. — Leslie Caspi, San Diego
FB Comment from Matthew Kostrinsky, San Diego: I think if my shul and these others are hosting a meeting to discuss the deal, then Donald should be able to cover it. Now, if AIPAC had a members only private discussion, then I could understand no media. Sounds like that was a public discussion and not an internal AIPAC event. Oh, I have supported AIPAC now more then 25 plus years too.
FB Comment from David Ogul, San Diego: What a crock. AIPAC just lost one supporter.
FB Comment from Lawrence Baron, San Diego: There is this fallacy that what is said in a Jewish audience won’t get covered more broadly in the media. That’s not true anymore in the age of social media. I hope someone brought their cellphone.