America’s most influential pro-Israel lobby group has condemned Donald Trump for using his keynote speech to organisation to launch an attack on President Barack Obama.
The Republican presidential frontrunner received the loudest cheer of his 25-minute address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when he veered off-script to malign Mr Obama during Monday’s oration.
“With President Obama in his final year,” Mr Trump said, before pausing to add triumphantly, “Yaay”.
As that remark was met with a mixture of laughter and cheers, the candidate went on: “He may be the worst thing ever to happen to Israel, believe me, believe me.”
Despite the applause that then rang out, Lilian Pinkus, AIPAC’s president, said many in the 18,000 crowd who were “deeply hurt” by Mr Trump’s remarks and the response they provoked.
“Last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us,” she said in a statement to the audience before Tuesday’s meeting of the group.
“We say unequivocally that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks, and we take great offence to those that are levied against the United States of America from our stage. While we may have policy differences, we deeply respect the office of the president of the United States and our president, Barack Obama.
“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 sky is falling!"
Photo: REX/Shutterstock
It is highly unusual for the organisation - which routinely invites presidential candidates to address it during election years - to criticise comments made by an invitee.
Mr Trump’s appearance sparked controversy even before he spoke, with liberal rabbis pledging to stage a walk-out in protest at his statements against Muslims and Mexicans, saying it resembled historical anti-Semitism.
Reading from a teleprompter - in a rare departure from his usual extempore speaking style - Mr Trump went out his way to allay concerns that he would be “neutral” in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, declaring his love for the Jewish state.
He also said Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state and likely Democratic nominee, had “treated Israel very, very badly” and later called Mrs Clinton “a total disaster”. His speech received a standing ovation, as did addresses given by the two other Republican contenders, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.
There were also signs of scepticism. Mr Trump was met with mocking laughter when - referring to the Iran nuclear deal - he declared: “I have studied this issue in great detail, I would say in greater detail than anybody else.”
The laughter increased when the billionaire reality television host responded by insisting, “believe me, believe me”, a phrase he used more than half-a-dozen times in his speech.
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Alan: Despite Trump's encouragement of the worst angels of our nature, I want him to win the Republican nomination
to reveal the terrified face of American conservatism.
Remember: If you're terrified, the terrorists won.
And you made their victory possible.
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to reveal the terrified face of American conservatism.
Remember: If you're terrified, the terrorists won.
And you made their victory possible.
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