Dear Friend,

Today, many Jewish people around the world are observing Tisha B'Av, a day
commemorating the historical destruction of the First and Second Temples
in Jerusalem, and the hardships our people have faced throughout history.
J Street is proud to mark this day by partnering with many of our Jewish
communal partners to co-sponsor nationwide vigils and protests against the
Trump administration’s inhumane immigration and refugee policies.

This moment of action feels even more urgent in the wake of last weekend’s
devastating white supremacist attack. It comes after a period in which
President Trump and his allies have escalated their dangerous incitement
against people of color in Congress and elevated far-right conspiracy
theories about an “invasion” of immigrants -- using the platform of the
White House to promote hatred from the darkest corners of the internet. At
the same time, they continue to use false accusations of anti-Semitism and
their own claims of “support for Israel” as a shield with which to obscure
and justify their own bigotry.

As a people who understand what it means to be targeted as a vulnerable
minority and told to “go back” to where we came from, we know that we
cannot remain silent or equivocate in the face of this fundamental threat
to our values and our democracy. That’s why at J Street we’re rising to
this moment, building a powerful political movement that is standing up to
right-wing ethno-nationalism -- both in the United States and in Israel. 

We will never equivocate or stay silent about policies and rhetoric that
exacerbate conflict and sow the seeds of violence. We’ll fight for peace,
tolerance and equality -- and work tirelessly for the political change we
need. We’ll help point the way toward a better future. 

Thank you,

Logan Bayroff
Director of Communications

Around J Street

Standing Against Demolitions and Annexation in the West Bank

[1]Trump and Bolton
Last month, the Netanyahu government forced families from their homes and
demolished their buildings in the West Bank village of Sur Baher. J Street
[ [link removed] ]called this out for what it was: “Yet another example of how the
far-right has weaponized building permits in East Jerusalem and is seeking
to advance an agenda of ‘creeping annexation’ in the West Bank which aims
to restrict and demolish Palestinian communities and undermine the terms
of any future peace agreement.” 

This past week, Netanyahu’s government announced the authorization of over
2,000 new dwellings for settlers in the West Bank, a move the UN described
as “effective annexation.” The PM also recommitted himself to an alliance
of pro-annexation parties and pledged to “secure our sovereignty” over
occupied territory. 

As we’ve come to expect, these announcements -- clear violations of
international law -- have been met with silence from the Trump
administration.  But while the White House enables Netanyahu, Congress has
the opportunity to clearly push back by passing H.Res.326, which condemns
annexation and reaffirms support for the two-state solution. Thanks in
part to strong advocacy from the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement, this
resolution now has the support of over two thirds of the Democratic
Caucus. J Street is urging House leadership to vote on this vital measure
when Congress returns from its summer recess. 

[ [link removed] ]Watch J Street’s online briefing with local experts on the demolitions
in Sur Baher and the situation in East Jerusalem >>

After the Trip, “Let Our People Know” Participants Tell Their Stories

[4]J Street U Trip
Following their return from exploring Israel and the West Bank on J
Street’s "Let Our People Know" trip, the 28 students who participated in
the groundbreaking delegation have been making their voices heard in the
American Jewish community, explaining the impact and importance of this
kind of balanced, nuanced and in-depth education: 

* "After hearing the stories of those on the ground, we feel more
connected to Israel, Palestine, and the people who live there than we
ever did before," six students wrote in a joint piece for the
[ [link removed] ]Forward.
* "'Let Our People Know' challenges Birthright’s pretense of apoliticism
in Jewish engagement with the State of Israel, instead providing space
for young American Jews to wrestle with our moral responsibility,"
Gabriella Kamran wrote for [ [link removed] ]The Jerusalem Post. 
* "Because of the opportunity that J Street provided to me with this
trip, I now have the knowledge to help change the way dialogue is
happening around the occupation and to begin working towards real
solutions," Liyah Foye told the [ [link removed] ]Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 
* "I can honestly say that this trip changed my life," Simone Pass
Tucker wrote in the [ [link removed] ]Washington Jewish Week. 
* "Though the physical walls were daunting and formidable, the
metaphorical ones, between my understanding of the conflict and those
living it, were changed by the narratives from Israelis in moshavs and
settlements, and from Palestinians in the West Bank and beyond," Ethan
Wellerstein wrote in [ [link removed] ]The Jewish News of Northern California. 
* "The occupation weighs on the Palestinians and it weighs on the
Israelis. It drains the population, and more than ever, what we really
need is peace in the region," Adam DeSchriver told the [ [link removed] ]Pittsburgh
Jewish Chronicle.

Ahead of 2020, JStreetPAC Announces Exciting New Congressional  Endorsees

[11]Amy McGrath
JStreetPAC proudly announced its first slate of new endorsements for the
2020 election cycle last month, adding to a total which now includes four
on-cycle Senate incumbents, 124 House incumbents, three House challengers
and one Senate challenger. 

J Street was one of the very first groups to endorse former Marine fighter
pilot Amy McGrath, who is challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell in Kentucky. No one has done more than Sen. McConnell to enable
President Trump’s dangerous agenda and to prevent Congress from blocking
the administration’s slide towards war with Iran. That’s why McGrath’s
challenge is so important for our movement -- and why our supporters
raised an amazing $75,000 for her campaign in its first week. [ [link removed] ]View the
special thank you message Amy McGrath recorded for J Street supporters >>

The PAC also endorsed Ammar Campa-Najjar in his race against Rep. Duncan
Hunter in CA-50 -- a close Trump ally who will soon face trial for
corruption charges. In racist attack ads, Hunter has shamefully accused
Campa-Najjar -- who has both Mexican and Palestinian heritage -- of having
“ties to terrorism” and trying to “infiltrate” Congress. We’re proud to
stand with Campa-Najjar against these smears. When elected, he will be the
first member of Congress to have ever lived with the conflict, having
spent part of his childhood in Gaza.

Israeli election updates

This week was the deadline for Israeli political parties to finalize their
partnership agreements and joint slates, with a record number of mergers
leading to a field of just nine lists that seem likely to make the next
Knesset. To keep up to date on the next five weeks of campaigning, [ [link removed] ]be
sure to sign up for our regular Israeli election updates.

[ [link removed] ]Watch this week’s election briefing with Israeli journalist Tal
Schneider, who discusses the finalized lists, Netanyahu’s options and the
prospects for a unity government >>

Help Stand Up to Trump and Netanyahu at the J Street National Conference 

While right-wing groups have cheered for the agenda of Trump and
Netanyahu, J Street has built a powerful political home for those who want
to push back. The best place to do that is at our 2019 National
Conference, taking place October 26-29th in Washington, DC. 

The more attendees we have, the greater the impact we can make -- from
working to prevent escalation with Iran and fighting against creeping
annexation to shaping the conversation on Israel in the Democratic
presidential primary. We’ll be hosting high-profile speakers, including
2020 candidates, and running important trainings and workshops. Opening
night will feature a live-taping of the popular podcast Pod Save the
World, focusing on the future of US policy in the Middle East. 

[ [link removed] ]Register here to show up in Washington and make an impact this fall >>

And check out our new conference video, which shows exactly what J Street
stands for -- and what we’ll stand against:

[ [link removed] ]White House Protest

Must Reads
Crooked Media
[17]crooked media Democrats, Don’t Settle for AIPAC’s One-Sided Story
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
New York Times
Israelis Brace for a New Election. The Real Contest May Come Later
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
Times of Israel
[20]Area C The Road to Annexation Runs Straight Through Area C
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
New York Times
[22]Area C Defenders of a Racist President Use Jews as Human Shields
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
[ [link removed] ]Donate →

[ [link removed] ]View this email as a web page.
[2]Street Talk Logo
© 2019 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace 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.



You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]