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 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, 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 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 rejected the allegation of genocide, we 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 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
