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IN THE SAFE ZONE AIPAC is a political organization — it describes itself as “America’s leading pro-Israel lobby” — and its Policy Conference is a political meeting, beginning with its standing location in Washing- ton, D.C. Plenary sessions at AIPAC 2013, which drew more than 13,000 attendees to Walter E. Washington from Sunday to Tuesday, March 3–5, featured appearances by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, U.S. Vice President Biden, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu (via satellite), and U.S. Sen. John McCain. Breakout sessions were dominated by panel discussions and town- hall meetings on such topics as “Atomic Armaged- don: The Consequences of a Nuclear Iran,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight? The Future of Israel–EU Relations,” and “Missed Opportunities to Reach Israeli–Palestinian Peace.” And on the final after- noon, thousands of attendees went to Capitol Hill to lobby in support of a four-point agenda: the House’s Nuclear Iran Prevention Act, a Senate resolution “backing Israel against Iran,” the House and Senate’s U.S.–Israel Strategic Partnership Act, and $3.1 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel. “Our goal is for [attendees] to be motivated, educated, and to go up to the Hill on Tuesday
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ready to lobby on behalf of the U.S.–Israel rela- tionship,” Shulman said. “That’s what we’re in the process of doing.” It’s a sensitive mission and a sensitive meet-
ing — a controversial one in some quarters — and that’s reflected in the security woven into the Policy Conference’s DNA. It’s a matter not just of public safety, although that is a major concern. AIPAC works with Washington, D.C., police, the U.S. Secret Service, and other law-enforcement agencies to screen attendees in advance and create a security perimeter around the convention center, and everyone coming into Walter E. Washington goes through at least one metal detector (and then another one to see high-profile speakers like Biden). But just as important to Policy Conference security is creating an atmosphere of confidential- ity and comfort. Signs posted outside more than a few sessions on Monday afternoon declared them
“Off the Record and Closed to the Press,” includ- ing “Congressional Journal: How Members of Congress Experience Israel” and “The Campaign Against Israel.” “If you’re going to bring this many members of
this community together,” Shulman said, “for peo- ple to feel comfortable being passionate about this
Not a Through Street AIPAC closed L Street — which separates the first floor of the Walter E. Washington Conven- tion Center — to car trafic, secured it with metal detectors at each end, and dressed it up to make it a part of the Policy Conference floorspace.