Under cloud of Iran talk, AIPAC quietly courts progressives

WASHINGTON (JTA)—At the AIPAC conference, a sea of 16,000 Israel supporters spent their time talking Iran policy amid the swirling controversy over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress.

To the sidelines fell discussion of the Israeli elections, the peace process and Israeli innovation— as well as another quieter aim of the three-day forum: courting progressives.

Sprinkled through the dense program were several well-attended sessions devoted to presenting Israel’s deep connection to progressive values. In plenary sessions and breakout panels, speaker after speaker described AI...