WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 25: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference on March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to speak at the conference, but cut his U.S. trip short after a rocket from Gaza struck Israel. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) announced on May 31 it is canceling its 2021 Policy Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AIPAC President Betsy Korn said in a statement posted to Twitter, “Given the continued uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and without a predictable avenue to safely bring together thousands of pro-Israel Americans, we have been forced to cancel the 2021 AIPAC Policy Conference.”
She added AIPAC is working on ways to connect the pro-Israel community virtually until the pandemic ends.
“COVID-19 is one of several areas where the partnership between the United States and Israel is critical, and our job is to ensure that America continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish State,” Korn said.
Korn concluded the statement with a call for the pro-Israel community to expand and ensure that bipartisan support for Israel is maintained in Congress.
“The impact of COVID-19 will make this a different and challenging year,” she said. “But we are confident that the AIPAC community will continue to overcome any obstacle and rise to the occasion.”
Important Update on the 2021 AIPAC Policy Conference pic.twitter.com/YKb96PikvV
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) May 31, 2020
Several attendees at the AIPAC Policy Conference in March, including a Los Angeles County resident, tested positive for the virus after the conference ended. George Washington University placed Jewish students who had attended the conference in quarantine for 12 hours on March 6.
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