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Warren: I Would Push Israel to End Occupation of Palestinians

Senator tells activists 'I'm there'

July 8, 2019

2020 hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) told activists at an event Monday that she supported pressuring Israel to, in their words, "end occupation" of Palestinian territories.

In a video posted by the left-wing Jewish group IfNotNow on Twitter, two of its activists approached Warren for a picture—she poses for photos with anyone who wants them after campaign events—and introduced themselves as American Jews with a proposition for her.

"We really love the way you're fighting corruption. We'd really love it if you also pushed the Israeli government to end occupation," one of the activists said.

"Yes, yes. So I'm there," Warren said quickly.

Warren then took a picture with the two activists.

Warren's campaign did not respond to a request for comment about her stance on the conflict.

https://twitter.com/IfNotNowOrg/status/1148380673381560320?s=20

The group gleefully promoted the clip, writing, "BREAKING: Our members in New Hampshire just asked @ewarren if she would commit to pressuring the Israel to stop their 52 year military Occupation over the Palestinian people. She said YES."

https://twitter.com/IfNotNowOrg/status/1148380912880459776

https://twitter.com/be_ccahh/status/1148381872084443136

The group also sent a press release saying Warren's views on Israel had gone from recycling "right-wing talking points" to being "more in line with her progressive values."

https://twitter.com/IfNotNowOrg/status/1148386949175992320

While Warren has expressed support for Israel in the past, she backed a resolution in April condemning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

IfNotNow became a tax-exempt organization permitted to engage in political activities last month. Its goal is to put public pressure on Democratic candidates to be more hostile to Israel regarding its conflict with the Palestinians, a view growing in popularity among the Democratic Party base.

It recently posted a photo of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) with the group's activists holding a sign reading, "Jews Against the Occupation." Among IfNotNow's supporters is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), a Palestinian-American and one of the most outspoken anti-Israel voices in Congress.

The group was co-founded by Max Berger, a Warren staffer who has taken criticism after deleting a 2013 tweet that he would "totally be friends with Hamas," the Palestinian terrorist group.