J Street's work includes lobbying on Capitol Hill
Last month, I posted here announcing the first J Street Minnesota event, an evening with J Street Founder and President Jeremy Ben-Ami and former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Colette Avital. The event took place at Mount Zion synagogue in St. Paul on Wednesday October 20, and attracted over 400 members of the community. Also in attendance were two Members of Congress, Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum.
For those of you who did not attend, both Ben-Ami and Avital spoke about their strongly held views that Israel must reach an agreement with the Palestinians soon in order to thrive as a Jewish and democratic state. Ben-Ami, the founder and president of J Street, explained his background and his strong ties to Israel. His ancestors were in the very first group to emigrate to what was then Palestine, and later were among the founders of Tel Aviv. His father was in the Irgun, and family dinners included long debates over the best way to secure Israel’s future. After working and living in Israel, Ben-Ami worked on presidential campaigns in the United States and served in the Clinton White House.
Ben-Ami explained that he and others had the idea to start J Street because they believed that our community needed another voice when it came to Israel. They believed that many Jews in the United States wanted to support Israel, but did not subscribe to an “Israel right or wrong” approach. After acknowledging the outstanding work that AIPAC has done securing military and financial support for Israel and solidifying our country’s relationship with Israel, he explained that many in the American Jewish community wanted a political pro-Israel home that permitted them to disagree with Israeli policies, particularly those that stood in the way of a two state solution. He founded J Street to provide a political home to pro-Israel, pro-Peace members of the community who wanted to advocate for peace as a means of securing Israel’s future. In the past two years, J Street has grown tremendously, with offices and staff around the country, lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and a growing presence on universities and colleges in all parts of the United States.
After Ben-Ami, Avital talked about her early days working in the Israeli government. After leaving the army, Avital worked for Golda Meir. Over the past few decades, Avital has held positions for the Israeli government in New York, Boston, Brussels, and elsewhere. She then served in the Knesset and rose to the position of Deputy Speaker. Avital explained that Israelis like herself believe that it is essential that the government reach an agreement with the Palestinians. Noting the urgency of current demographic trends, Avital stated that, in order to remain a Jewish democracy that provides full rights to all of its citizens, Israel must separate from the Palestinians and live side-by-side. Because of the growth of the Palestinian population, Israel cannot remain a Jewish state and a democracy much longer unless a two state solution is reached.
Avital also explained that she believes Israel should return to the peace talks without preconditions. She specifically addressed the Prime Minister’s recent requirement that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state before continuing with negotiations. Avital stated, “we are a Jewish state, I don’t need them to say so.” In Avital’s view, too often both sides come up with reasons not to find peace, and let opportunities pass. Indeed, Avital stated that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the growing danger of radical Islam compelled Israel to reach a deal with those Palestinians who are interested in peace. “We will never talk to Hamas,” she said, but Israel can and must talk to those who are willing to be partners in peace.
Both Ben-Ami and Avital described their efforts as part of the Zionist cause: others created and developed the State of Israel as a Jewish democracy, it is now up to us to make certain that it survives and prospers. This, they asserted, requires a two state solution.
As the chair of this event, I was pleased to see such a strong, positive reaction from those in attendance. Avital received a standing ovation at the end of her talk and was greeted warmly by many who simply wanted to shake her hand and thank her for coming to Minnesota. Many people from all segments of the community came up to those of us who worked on the event afterward asking how they can get involved in J Street.
For those who want to get involved, J Street will be holding an organizational meeting on November 10, at Temple Israel. If you want to learn more, please contact us at the J Street Minnesota website. Or, call me.
(Photo: Francisco Diez)
J street is a farce and not an organization that in fact helps to promote peace – it promotes the piecemeal dismantle of Israel. Land-for-peace is the biggest joke that wasn’t funny to come along. “Settlements” aren’t settlements, and “Palestine” is not what Israel originally was – it’s the indigenous homeland of Jewish people, from a period of over 3000 years ago. Rhetoric has been totally commandeered and twisted by those who in fact harbor deep, bigoted hatred toward Jewish people, and have found a great outlet in “criticizing Israel’s policies”, and cloaking their ugly prejudice in feigned and very particularized concern for human rights. Most of these people actually have no grasp on Israel’s ancient or contemporary history, incredible contributions to humanity (in particular through ethics, science & technology, medicine, and sparing the west the real ramifications of Islamo-Fascist terrorism). Don’t be lulled into a stupor by the nice double-speak of this organization, or false belief that all they want is peace – DUH – who doesn’t?! The real point is, those upon whom J Street should be putting moralistic pressure aren’t Israelis – who have already and still sacrifice too much; have acknowledged that Palestinians should have a homeland and have tried to give it to them *many times*; give aid and comfort to the enemy as a way to maintain their own humanity, etc. etc. – they should put their efforts toward deprogramming Palestinians of their hate and acts of violence, as well as all-or-nothing stance. Israel has nothing for which to apologize – and in the end, that’s actually what J Street is – a pathetically misguided, apologist, waste of time….
Alexis:
I don’t believe we have met. And I do not know whether this blog has any type of policy regarding civil discourse. I doubt your response to my post would qualify under any definition of civil discourse.
Normally, I would just let this go. But I want to remind you that the J Street supporters, the people who you claim harbor a “deep, bigoted hatred toward Jewish people” include 600 Rabbis, many Israeli politicians and former military leaders, and Dalia Rabin. So, your insult has been directed to all of them. I am Jewish. I am a strong supporter of Israel and a strong supporter of J Street. To place such labels on all of us strikes me as inconsistent with the core values of Judaism. I choose to support Israel in a manner that you find disagreable. That is fine. But throwing out labels does nothing, in my view, to advance the discussion.
There will be a robust debate in our community regarding how we support Israel. I would like it to be respectful.
Andrew, Don’t moralize to me, or try and shame me from calling a spade a spade, and lifting the curtain on J Street and its major proponents. George Soros, a J Street founder/funder, is the epitome of what I was and am referring to.
Also, you cannot deny J Street’s facilitation of meetings for the infamous Judge Richard Goldstone with members of the U.S. Congress. If ever there was a person piling unjust allegations and outright lies on Israel and the Jewish people, he is it. J Street is the hallmark of lack of truth in advertising – claiming to be pro-Israel and pro-peace when they are in fact funded and founded by, as well as collaborating with, those who are without a doubt all together *not* pro-Israel, and trotting out peace-is-the-answer (especially as if that were their sole domain) as an insidious means of obfuscation, double-speak, and subterfuge.
Facts on J Street:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/24/soros-funder-liberal-jewish-american-lobby/?page=1
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/29/israel-lobby-aided-hill-visits-un-report-author/
http://media.washtimes.com/media/audio/2010/Sep/30/Avital2.mp3
Andrew–Yasher koach on a bright, thoughtful, insightful program on October 20 & response.
As a Rav B’Yisrael (a Rabbi for the people of Israel), I take my responsibility to the Jewish people–all of us, in our glorious (dis)array–very seriously. I appreciate J-Street advancing the conversation & I’m always happy to engage in respectful and insightful dialogue about the future of the Jewish people and our homeland, even when we might disagree. Perhaps especially when we disagree.
We are taught in the Talmud that the 2nd Temple was destroyed because the Jews engaged in “sinat chinam”–senseless hatred and disrespect for one another. Surely we have learned in the 2,000 years since how to talk compassionately, justly, and lovingly to one another. Andrew, Kol Hakavod for being so thoughtful & for modeling menschy behavior! With leaders like you, I have hope.
Andrew,
With all due respect, I do not see how Alexis’ post fails to qualify as “civil discourse”.
There are indeed many questions left unanswered about J Street. Some of them are about their financing (see, for example, this article: http://blogs.jpost.com/content/j-street-has-no-shame). Others are indeed about the pro-Israeli nature of your organization, based on actions and statements of some your affiliates (J Street student organization, for example). Yet even more questions are raised about your association with and endorsement by both the White House and the State Department — are you the government’s officially endorsed Jewish Organization, much like there were officially endorsed or tolerated religious organizations in the Soviet Union?
Even if some of these questions are the result of misinformation about your organization, and even if one assumes that your organization is still in the process of assessing and adjusting its goals, still, there are too many of them. And some of these questions broach subjects that are just too serious to be left unanswered.
As to your claim of 600 Rabbis endorsing your organization, well… I am of the opinion that American Rabbis have somewhat of a spotty record when it comes to supporting and protecting their own people, starting with Rabbi Stephen Wise who, during WWII, attempted to suppress information about the Holocaust for the fear of antisemitism; and ending with Rabbi Amy Eilberg, whose rabid anti-Israeli articles in Start Tribune are well known. Add to this the words of another American Rabbi, who not ago professed to me and my wife that “American Rabbis do not actually help people, they just mediate conflicts”, and you will see that your claim of an endorsement by 600 American Rabbis may not amount to much.
Of course, you will probably dismiss my post as an “uncivil discourse” by one of the “Russians”. According to Bill Clinton, we are an obstacle to peace anyway.