Cory Booker Claims He Didn’t Know He Held a Pro-Palestine Sign. New Details Cast Doubt on His Denial

By Zaid Jilani

At the Netroots Nation conference in New Orleans this past weekend, which brands itself as “a political convention for American progressive political activists,” the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights attended panels, handed out literature, and advocated for the end of the occupation of Palestine to secure a just future for both Israelis and Palestinians.

As part of that effort, members snapped a photo with Sen. Cory Booker D-N.J., during which he held a sign that clearly read, “From Palestine to Mexico, All the Walls Have Got to Go.”

Excited to be here at Netroots Nation talking with progressives like Sen. Cory Booker about our shared commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for all people. #NN18 pic.twitter.com/ljswLmv32w

— Palestinian Rights (@US_Campaign) August 3, 2018

The initial response from the left was hopeful, if skeptical. Booker, a presumed 2020 hopeful, has been making concessions to the left since 2016, including a pledge to reject corporate PAC donations, putting a “pause” on fundraising from pharmaceutical companies, and embracing Sanders-style policies like a $15 minimum wage and “Medicare for All.”

Although he has a long history of strident pro-Israel advocacy, this year, Booker declined from speaking publicly at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, America’s prominent pro-Israeli government lobbying group — although an AIPAC official told The Intercept that conference attendees met with him at his Capitol Hill offices following the event.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Intercept_