At AIPAC, Pelosi stays away from Iraq

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stayed away from the topic of Iraq as she spoke to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference Wednesday, and avoided the scattered booing that marked her appearance last year.

Pelosi got standing ovations as she recounted her recent bipartisan delegation to Israel to mark its 60th anniversary.

{mosads}“The aisle that divides Republicans and Democrats in Congress disappears when it comes to policies supporting Israel,” she said.

Last year, Pelosi was booed by some of the participants when she mentioned Iraq. Pelosi supports the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Her silence on Iraq contrasted with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who got standing ovations for supporting a continued U.S. combat role in the country.

“It would be a mistake to retreat from Iraq and create a power vacuum that Iranians would gladly go in and fill,” Boehner said.

Pelosi also received a standing ovation when she held up the dog tags of three Israeli soldiers held captive. The tags, belonging to two soldiers taken by Hezbollah and another kidnapped by Hamas, were given to Pelosi by one of the soldier’s mothers during her visit to Israel in April. On the trip, she also met with leaders of Syria, a supporter of Hezbollah, to discuss the soldiers’ status.