The 6,000 participants who have congregated in Washington to participate in AIPAC’s annual policy conference have seen their numbers boosted by a growing number of non-Jewish students and public officials.
Christian and historically black colleges which sent student delegates to the three-day event grew by 25 percent this year, with 55 campuses represented. The number of student government presidents jumped by a third, to 160 such representatives, the majority of whom are not Jewish.
The program itself continues the tradition of holding sessions on support for Israel among the African-American, Latino and Christian communities.
Pastor John Hagee, the guiding force for the political organization Christians United for Israel, was asked to address the opening dinner plenary on Sunday.
AIPAC, which subsidizes students who come to the conference, highlighted the diverse student involvement in its program, which opened with all 1,200 students standing before the assembly.
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