Bernie Sanders is 'proud to have the support of IfNotNow'

IfNotNow organizes protests against Israel and pressures Jewish institutions to be less supportive of the country.

MARCH 14, 2020 18:06

IfNotNow became the first Jewish organization to endorse Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. It is the first time the organization has endorsed a political candidate. The organization says that 80% of its members voted in favor of the endorsement and it plans to spend the next few months talking to potential voters.

The NGO is a Jewish organization that has repeatedly criticized Israel. Its goal is to end the “Israeli occupation” and the “weaponization of antisemitism in the debate over Israel." The organization was founded in 2014 in the wake of Operation Protective Edge.

“This fight is not over. As a movement of young Jews fighting for freedom and dignity for all, we are proud to be the first Jewish organization to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for President," founder of IfNotNow Dani Moscovitch said in a .

"Like us, Bernie rejects the false choice between being a proud Jew and supporting Palestinian freedom. He has embraced the commonsense position that the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian people should end – and that our tax dollars should stop funding it."

Moscovitch also accused the right of "[weaponizing] antisemitism to keep Americans divided and keep power in the hands of the few.”

Sanders announced the endorsement in a video on his Twitter account and wrote, "Peace means security not only for every Israeli, but also for every Palestinian."

Peace means security not only for every Israeli, but also for every Palestinian. I'm proud to have the support of @IfNotNowOrg. pic.twitter.com/oZvUzvAzQS
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 11, 2020

"Bernie represents our best chance at political transformation for Israel-Palestine; our best chance for peace for both peoples," said IfNotNow political director and co-founder Emily Mayer in the endorsement video.

Mayer attacked Joe Biden, saying, “We live in a political climate in which establishment politicians from both sides of the aisle, like Joe Biden, have given lip service to a two-state solution while cozying up to people like Bibi who are advancing anything but.”

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Sanders is currently the only Jewish candidate attempting to win the nomination, after former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg discontinued his campaign.

In the past, Sanders said he is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinians, and claimed that the Netanyahu government in Israel is racist. He declined to participate in this year's AIPAC Policy Conference, claiming it provides a platform for leaders to express “bigotry.”