Block leaves AIPAC for Democratic consultancy

Josh Block, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s spokesman, is leaving to start a consultancy and join a centrist Democratic think tank.

Block and Lanny Davis, a counsel to the Clinton White House, will set up Davis-Block LLC, a firm that will “operate at the nexus of policy, politics and public affairs,” Davis told Politico on Tuesday. “Josh and I will be able to offer clients unique strategic depth on public affairs, legal issues, legislative strategy, crisis management, and foreign policy.”

Block, who is telling friends he will still play a prominent role in pro-Israel activism, also is joining the Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank for centrist Democrats.

A former Democratic activist, Block told Politico that he is re-entering the fray to counter what he said were the left wing’s deleterious effects on the party.

“There are actually Democrats out there these days calling themselves ‘progressives’ who don’t care about the debt we’re laying on our children, who think it’s a good idea to let Iran get nukes and no longer see America as the leader of the free world, and these guys are so out of touch with reality, they actually think those positions will help get folks elected,” he said. “It’s incumbent upon those of us who know better to stand up and be counted.”

Richard Fishman, AIPAC’s managing director, said the organization would miss Block.

“Over the last nine years, Josh has made an extremely valuable contribution to AIPAC and the pro-Israel movement,” Fishman said.