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At AIPAC: Who’s speaking for whom?

By Ron Kampeas · March 22, 2010

Will the real Josh Block please stand up? But keep the towel on.

AIPAC spokesman Block, last seen shvitzing at the Finnish sauna, had his name posted on a faux AIPAC statement urging Israel to freeze settlements. NPR apparently bit, Politico's Laura Rozen reports, although it should have been clear it was a fake: The statement was a clear parody of the one  AIPAC released last week urging the United States to keep the volume down over the differences with Israel over its Jerusalem settlements. And anyone familiar with AIPAC's policies -- and what it takes to changes them -- would have spotted this one a mile away.

What gave it away to me -- even before I read it -- was the man handing me the release as I rushed into the policy conference. "Today's release," he said, as he thrust it forward. He was presentable enough, but AIPAC's corporate culture does not accommodate leafleting folks on the sidewalk.

[UPDATE: Code Pink claims credit.]

In more conference fun, Politico's Ben Smith and Natasha Mozgovaya of Ha'aretz cover  the dustup between Alan Dershowitz and J Street reps over what it means to be "pro-Israel." 

One thing struck me by Dersh's argument, as quoted by  Natasha:

"You should ask yourself why Norman Finkelstein loves you," he said, referring to the noted leftwing American political commentator. 

I've done the Google, deep, and I can't find any Finkel-praise for J Street.