Donald Trump used his American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) speech yesterday to further some of his campaign noise, noise that included his usual knock against President Obama. And while some of his noise fell on a few welcoming ears in the audience, the organizers and president of AIPAC later issued a statement, rebuking Trump and his comments against President Obama, calling those comments divisive.
“Last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us,” AIPAC President Lillian Pinkus said during the final day of the organization’s annual policy conference in Washington. “We say, unequivocally, that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks, and we take great offense against those that are levied against the president of the United States of America from our stage.
“While we may have policy differences, we deeply respect the office of the United States and our president, Barack Obama,” she added to resounding applause. “There are people in our AIPAC family who were deeply hurt last night, and for that we are deeply sorry.
“We are disappointed that so many people applauded a sentiment that we neither agree with or condone.”
The comments were a clear shot at Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, who appeared on the same stage barely more than 12 hours before.
