[ ]J Street[ ]
Friend,

This was a significant week for J Street.

With a number of major developments in our work related to the
Israel-Hamas War, I wanted to ensure you’ve seen our most recent
statements.

➡️ Time for Diplomacy: On Monday, J Street released a [ [link removed] ]significant
statement calling for a diplomatic solution to free remaining hostages,
end the devastation in Gaza and deliver a surge of humanitarian assistance
to address the suffering of the civilian population of Gaza.

* Our call echoed an important interview from former IDF Chief of Staff
and member of the War Cabinet Gen. Gadi Eisenkot last week in which he
acknowledged that the only way to bring the hostages home would be
through a diplomatic agreement and a halt in the fighting.

➡️ Renewed Efforts: We are gratified to see that negotiations appear to be
getting more serious around just such a longer-term break in the fighting
and the release of hostages.

* Yesterday, [ [link removed] ]we welcomed the assignment of one of America’s most
seasoned diplomats and Middle East experts, CIA Director Bill Burns,
by President Biden to lead the effort to reach an agreement, working
with Qatar, Egypt, Israel and others.

➡️ Oversight and Accountability: This week also saw ongoing and serious
negotiations in the Senate around a supplemental appropriation that would
provide not only additional funding for Israel, but humanitarian
assistance including to Gaza, aid to Ukraine and Taiwan, and border
security.

* J Street is supportive of efforts to ensure oversight and
accountability for the funds being provided by the United States to
Israel – and does not believe assistance to any country, including
Israel, should be provided in the form of a blank check. We are
supporting proposed amendments to the supplemental led by [ [link removed] ]Senators
Chris Van Hollen and Tim Kaine that establish clear restrictions and
oversight of the assistance being appropriated. We also support an
amendment from Senator Brian Schatz that reaffirms support for the
two-state solution as American policy.

➡️ ICJ Response: Finally, just today, the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) issued a preliminary ruling in the case brought against Israel by
South Africa under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide.

* While J Street has previously [ [link removed] ]rejected the allegation of genocide,
we [ [link removed] ]called on Israel to comply with the Court’s interim orders today
which we note did not include a call for an immediate ceasefire.
* The Court ordered Israel to ensure its military actions protect
civilians, that it punishes and prevents incitement to genocide by
government officials, and that it facilitates urgent humanitarian
assistance to the Gazan people.
* Former Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak voted with the
Court majority on two of its orders and wrote a thoughtful separate
opinion grounded in his personal experience as a Holocaust survivor
that captured much of my complex thinking on this difficult matter.

I wanted to close by noting that International Holocaust Remembrance Day
is tomorrow, Saturday, January 27.

For many of us, it’s a day to reflect on personal, familial and collective
pain. I recognize that for many – myself included – the Holocaust is an
integral part of what informs our values, our commitment to justice, and
indeed our engagement on the very issues J Street is focused on. It’s
another reason why the invocation of the Genocide Convention in the
context of this war touches such a sensitive nerve.

It’s why we have worked so carefully to calibrate a response to this war
that honors our history and our commitment to a better future.

As we approach 16 weeks since October 7, our hearts are with those still
being held hostage and their families as well as our staff, loved ones and
colleagues in Israel who continue to experience displacement, pain and
trauma.

At the same time, we are horrified by the intolerable levels of death,
destruction and displacement in Gaza. It’s past time to recognize that
this war, as it is being pursued by the Netanyahu government, is not
achieving its stated aims. It’s time to lead with diplomacy.

For comprehensive, updated positions on the war and many different issues
related to the conflict, please continue to check [ [link removed] ]our website and
follow us on social media (see links at the base of this email, underneath
the donate button).

Thank you for your support during this difficult time – and please don’t
hesitate to share your feedback with our team.

Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street


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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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