[ ]J Street [ ]
Friends,

It was 2009, J Street was one year old, and I was seated in the Roosevelt
Room in the White House next to the leaders of almost every major Jewish
group in America.

I still remember the looks I got in that room. J Street was the new kid on
the block and, according to the New York Times, several of the leaders of
right-leaning establishment groups sitting next to me had “vehemently
protested” President Obama’s decision to invite us.

While they weren’t happy to see me there personally, they were even less
happy with what President Obama was about to say.

One leader told the president there should be no daylight between the US
and Israel, and never any public criticism of the Israeli government. The
president replied candidly: “I disagree.”

No daylight between the US and Israel had helped ensure no progress in
Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, Obama explained, making clear that he
intended to publicly push back on harmful policies, including settlement
expansion.

In that meeting, President Obama shattered political orthodoxy. He showed
foresight and understanding of the long-term risks Prime Minister
Netanyahu and the settlement movement posed to Israel’s democratic future.

That day, J Street began the critical work of shattering conservative
groups’ long-standing, harmful monopoly on speaking for the pro-Israel
community in Washington.

Even then, these groups were beginning to align themselves with right-wing
Republicans and evangelicals – and failing to represent the overwhelming
majority of liberal, pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy American Jews.

This week marks J Street’s 15th birthday.

I remember our first formal day of work in 2008 -- in my basement! -- as
we set off on an ambitious journey to provide a proud, confident political
voice to those who care passionately about Israel’s security, its
democratic values, its place among nations, and its long-term future.

I know that the organization we’ve built together now means so much to so
many. I’ll share some more reflections below, but I also want to give you
a chance to share what the movement means to you.

[ [link removed] ]Share your birthday message about what J Street’s work means to you >>
We’ll share a selection of these with supporters, staff and on social
media.

After that first meeting with President Obama, the New York Times said J
Street “will not lack for acreage to till.”

Boy were they right.

After wondering whether our movement would ever outgrow my basement, we
held our first conference in October 2009 and had crowds so large we had
people sitting on the floor in the hallways for overflow.

J Street was named after a missing street in DC’s grid, and there was a
hunger for that missing voice. Together, we’ve experienced tremendous
highs and painful lows.

* We led the charge to support pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
leadership from the White House and Congress – balancing robust
support for Israel’s security with clear pushback against settlements
and annexation.
* We stood on the front lines of the bitter brawl to help secure
President Obama’s Iran deal, defeating the “maximum pressure” hawks to
block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, install 24/7 monitoring in
their facilities and force Iran to ship out their entire supply of
high-enriched uranium.
* As the first major Jewish group to denounce President Trump’s
candidacy for president, we watched in disbelief as right-wing
pro-Israel groups normalized or supported him, and then in horror as
battleground states were called for Trump in November 2016.
* We saw Trump directly assault and undermine our democracy and our core
values. Turning refugees into a political punching bag, shredding the
Iran deal in favor of military threats, and gifting the extreme-right
Israeli settlement movement a “peace” plan that was actually a
smokescreen for outright annexation

We worked to push back where we could, to rally a movement in our
communities and in Congress, and to transform the politics on Israel and
foreign policy within the Democratic party. Together, we raised over $16
million across 2018 and 2020 to help defeat Trump and his supporters in
Congress.

We’ve made tremendous progress over the past 15 years, and it can be easy
to forget how much public discourse has shifted.

I remember being told -- after saying the US shouldn’t provide Netanyahu
with carte blanche immunity for settlements and annexation at the UN --
that we were “so open minded, your brains must have fallen out.”

Today, I still see shock written on the faces of Members of Congress when
we take them on nuanced, balanced tours of Israel and the West Bank as
they come to grips with the painful reality on the ground for Israelis and
Palestinians, versus what they’ve been told by other groups 6,000 miles
away.

Today, over half the Democratic caucus in the House and Senate are J
Street endorsees. We speak for the overwhelming majority of pro-Israel,
pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans.

We speak for those who support the pro-democracy protesters on the streets
across Israel. Who know there’s no excuse for funding election-denying
extremists here at home. Who want to see the United States pursue tough,
effective, even-handed diplomacy to secure a peaceful and lasting
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We speak for those who are proud to stand up for their values. Who
champion Israel’s future as a truly just, truly democratic, truly peaceful
homeland for the Jewish people.

[ [link removed] ]If that work is important to you, please take a moment to sign our card
and leave a message >>

None of our work would be possible without your support. Thank you,
sincerely, for everything you do.

To our work ahead!

Jeremy Ben-Ami
Founder and President, J Street


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© 2023 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the
Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we
advocate policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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