1.
It was interesting to hear Benny Gantz address the AIPAC conference. With customary America patience, the large audience waited in line for the security checks. And then he took the podium. Pleasant on the eyes, gesturing with his hands, talking as a teacher would to his students. It was a reasonable speech if somewhat bland. Nothing more. He discussed (almost) all the issues that every speaker before him had already exhausted: the Holocaust, our strength in unity, peace, immigration, family, the Jewish people's common historical destiny, Israel takes care of all Jews across the globe, the Western Wall belongs to everyone and no to a Kahanist government; the unbreakable alliance between Israel and the United States, and thanks to President Donald Trump for thus far giving us recognition of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. (There was nothing about the historic withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, which was a gift of equal importance. Why mention Netanyahu?) And then he issued a warning to Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and all other thorns in our side. The applause from the crowd was somewhat restrained. There were scattered standing ovations. It didn't electrify or ooze with charisma. There was even a joke or two sprinkled in. It was all well and good. He's still an unknown commodity and didn't give the impression that he felt at home.
2.
The interesting part of his speech was outlining Blue and White's diplomatic policies, which are the same policies, more or less, as Netanyahu's: a united Jerusalem; the Jordan Valley as a security buffer; the IDF will remain solely responsible for security (in other words, rejection of international peacekeeping forces), and "we will never retreat from the Golan Heights." He didn't offend anyone but also didn't show how he was different from the Likud. These policies are more compatible with Moshe Ya'alon's, although Gantz apparently leans more to the left of them, more in the vein of Yesh Atid MK Ofer Shelah. But we are in the home stretch before elections and every word counts. The running theme throughout his speech was "I'm a soldier" and "I have dedicated my life to the State of Israel and the Jewish people." It was reminiscent of a speech Yitzhak Rabin gave at the White House back in the day: "I, I.D. No. 30743…." And now, Gantz wants us to similarly extrapolate that just as he commanded and led in the army, he can do the same with the country. What about the economy, technology, foreign policy and other critical areas – does military experience ensure success?
3.
And then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence took the stage and repeatedly brought the crowd to its feet. He also touched on the same topics but in his own colorful manner. He mentioned Trump often and discussed the current administration's uncompromising commitment to Israel. Indeed, the list of accomplishments and gestures of friendship toward Jerusalem is long – not just withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal or recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan but shuttering the PLO's offices in Washington after the Palestinian Authority refused to stop paying salaries to terrorists and their families, and cutting American payments to the United Nations, UNRWA and more. He mentioned Netanyahu in the same breath as Trump, as it pertains to the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
And then he changed gears to assail the leftist radicalization of the Democratic Party, to the point of unabashed anti-Semitism in the House of Representatives. Most interesting was his call for those who attack the relationship between Israel and the U.S. to be barred from sitting on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. It was a response to the anti-Semitic sentiments voiced by Rep. Ilhan Omar. She and her ilk sought to isolate those who support Israel and to mark them as disloyal and as seeking to undermine U.S. interests. Pence instead turned the spotlight back around, to isolate them as suspects in their own right. It's clear the Democratic presidential candidates are afraid of the progressives and thus avoided appearing at AIPAC (Pence said they "boycotted" the conference), and addressed them directly: "Anyone who aspires to the highest office in the land should not be afraid to stand with the strongest supporters of Israel in America."
4.
Similar to all of Pence's important speeches to Jewish audiences, here too he mixed in some Hebrew. He said the U.S. and Israel were more than friends, partners or allies – but a family (using the Hebrew word "mishpucha" for family). Wonderful. And the next time disagreements arise between Israel and the administration, we must remember that family members do disagree on occasion, regardless of their obvious loyalty to it. To better understand Pence, one needs to remember that he is a religious person and his support for Israel stems from his Christian faith. It is also the source for the idea of family: two faiths stemming from the same root. He ended his speech with a blessing for his fellow Americans: "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His countenance shine upon you and be gracious unto you. And may all your ways be paths of peace."
And then Nikki Haley approached the podium and the stadium shook from the ovation. She is still the star of the conference. She, too, touched all the basic bases. But what does it matter? The entire crowd was on its feet the majority of the time, cheering her on. She deserves it. Netanyahu won't address the conference this year. It's a shame. Someone already tweeted that the AIPAC conference without Netanyahu is like an omelet without eggs.
