Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg became the first 2020 presidential candidate to confirm an appearance at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual policy conference.
AIPAC, which labels itself “a bipartisan organization of U.S. citizens committed solely to strengthening, protecting, and promoting the U.S.-Israel relationship,” announced Sanders’s appearance on Tuesday evening. Bloomberg is the first of the Democratic contenders to confirm he will attend the conference, which is scheduled to take place in D.C. from March 1 to 3.
CONFIRMED ✔️: @MikeBloomberg will speak live at #AIPAC2020. @Mike2020 #AIPACProud https://t.co/HmvBzGOT2G pic.twitter.com/5Mn7oReQAo
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) February 25, 2020
Other 2020 Democrats Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both said they will not attend the event. Sanders, who made the announcement over the weekend, said he was concerned that AIPAC provides a platform “for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason, I will not attend their conference.”
AIPAC rebuked the Vermont senator’s accusation in a subsequent statement.
“Senator Sanders has never attended our conference, and that is evident from his outrageous comment,” the group’s statement read. “Senator Sanders is insulting his very own colleagues and the millions of Americans who stand with Israel. Truly shameful.”
The Bloomberg campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
