AIPAC after Rosen

Twice in the past eight months, FBI investigators have raided the offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and confiscated files. Two senior staffers are the subjects of an ongoing federal probe surrounding alleged mishandling of classified Pentagon documents. Four top officials recently testified in the investigation before a federal grand jury in Virginia.

Last week, after months of standing by its men, AIPAC severed its ties to the targeted staffers, veteran policy director Steve Rosen and senior Iran analyst Keith Weissman. The organization also issued a terse statement distancing itself from these key professionals.

The implications of the serious allegations both for national security interests and for U.S.-Israel relations, as well as confidentiality of internal employment issues, may explain the ongoing reticence of AIPAC leadership on the matter.

Remarkably, despite the shadow of the investigation, the premier lobbying group has been operating full throttle. In recent weeks its cadre of savvy lobbyists have garnered important successes on Capitol Hill, helping to secure Congressional backing for a whopping $2.6 billion in foreign aid for this year, to gain an extension of U.S. loan guarantees to Israel and to attach strict oversight guidelines to $200 million the Congress has earmarked to assist the Palestinian Authority.

In recent weeks AIPAC gathered an estimated 5,000 friends of Israel at informational meetings across the United States. It is gearing up to host a projected 5,000 supporters from throughout the United States at its annual policy conference in Washington, D.C., May 22-24, where headliners will include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

As it carries on business as usual, AIPAC must be aware that the seriousness of the federal charges - and their acute sensitivity - beg for forthright disclosure and open discussion with AIPAC contributors and the American Jewish community. A handful of conference calls between AIPAC lay and professional leaders have offered limited opportunities for essential dialogue; a proactive outreach to the broader community could help answer questions, dispel rumors, allay concerns and shore up AIPAC's profile.

American Jews and the State of Israel need an AIPAC that goes about its important work beyond the shadows of doubt.

Home