AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is an organization that lobbies to promote and secure greater U.S. support for Israel and a stronger U.S.-Israel relationship. This past week, AIPAC held its Policy Conference 2008. All three of the U.S. presidential candidates spoke at the conference, as well as prominent speakers such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Barack Obama spoke at the conference on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Obama directly stated that as President he would "never compromise when it comes to Israel's security," while making pledges for aid and support. As part of the justifications for this decision to stand firm for Israel were: "voices that deny the Holocaust" and "terrorist groups and political leaders committed to Israel's destruction." Obama brought the politics of the Middle East into his speech by referencing "government-funded textbooks filled with hatred towards Jews." The politically clever aspect of Obama's speech was his ability to refute media allegations that he would have negotiations with country leaders like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions. The brilliant part of the speech was the connection he drew between the African American community and the Jewish community. Obama said, "Jewish and African Americans have stood shoulder to shoulder. They took buses down South together; they marched together; they bled together; and Jewish Americans like Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner were willing to die alongside a black man, James Cheney on behalf of freedom and on behalf of equality."
