Friend,
The scenes in the skies above Israel, Gaza and the West Bank Saturday night were terrifying.
Hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles were shot down above major cities as civilians took shelter. I received a flood of texts and calls from friends and family across Israel. A seven-year-old girl in Israel’s south was seriously injured. We hope for her full recovery.
The entire pro-Israel community is still grappling with the fallout of this unprecedented Iranian attack – retaliation for an Israeli strike on a diplomatic compound in Damascus earlier this month which killed over a dozen people, including several Iranian military leaders.
We’re deeply thankful for the safety of our staff and partners in the region, and that US-funded missile defense systems and international interception efforts prevented a far worse situation.
President Biden’s strategy of deterrence, diplomacy and de-escalation is the right one – and may well have prevented this retaliatory attack from being far worse – but at J Street we remain deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation.
A spiraling conflict which results in an all out war with Iran would be catastrophic for Israel, the United States and the entire region. It’s a risk which must be taken seriously.
We must not minimize the Iranian attack on Israel, though we must ensure a line is drawn under this round of retaliation. Cooler heads must prevail. Together, we must push back against the hawkish, reactionary voices in Israel and the United States who even now are pressing for continued escalation.
It’s more urgent than ever to lower the flames in the region by bringing the fighting in Gaza to an end. We need to get hostages out and aid relief in.
Iran’s attack has, of course, also underscored the importance of US support for Iron Dome and other missile defense systems.
Today, J Street is renewing our call on Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring a stalled security funding package for an immediate vote.
The legislation includes vital security aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan as well as additional, urgently needed humanitarian aid to address the crisis in Gaza. The package passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and could be sent to President Biden’s desk for signature tonight.
Speaker Johnson, however, refuses to call a vote. The MAGA movement is holding him hostage over their opposition to aid to Ukraine and humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza.
Instead, he is using this moment of crisis to attempt to wedge, divert and distract Democrats – releasing a congressional calendar this morning clogged with divisive resolutions and messaging bills which in no way materially enhance US or Israeli security.
MAGA Republicans are seeking to deepen political divides, project reckless hawkish bluster, and tie the president’s hands as he pursues urgent diplomacy to de-escalate this crisis. Democrats should not play along.
At J Street, we’re pushing back against partisan efforts to politicize national security and splinter support for Israel, Ukraine and urgently needed humanitarian aid.
We’re calling out those who seek to draw both Israel and the United States into a catastrophic war with Iran – which would be a disaster for us all.
Your support makes that work possible. If this fight matters to you, please consider chipping in $18, $36 or $90 – or any other amount – to help us push back. Make a donation to strengthen our movement here >>
Thank you, sincerely, for your support.
Adina Vogel Ayalon
Vice President and Chief of Staff, J Street
PS. To read and share our full statements on this issue, you can find yesterday’s condemnation of the Iranian strike here and today’s call on the House to pass the bipartisan national security package here.
