Friends,
The next two weeks could not be more critical for all of us at J Street. We’re preparing for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week and Netanyahu’s visit to Washington the week after. Simultaneously, we continue to press for an urgent ceasefire agreement and rally voters to protect our democracy in November.
With so much happening, I wanted to make sure some recent developments didn’t get lost in the shuffle. Below you can find a brief recap of our work over the past few weeks.
With gratitude for all you do,
Nate Wolfson
Director of Communications Operations, J Street
J Street Urges Deal to Free Hostages, End the War
Advocating for a lasting negotiated ceasefire continues to be our top policy priority.
Our advocacy teams in Washington are urging Congress and the administration to press both Hamas and Netanyahu to seal a deal and save lives as urgently as possible. The US must firmly push our partners in the region to keep Hamas at the negotiating table and ensure a deal that releases all of the remaining hostages.
In Israel, J Street Executive Director Nadav Tamir, who plays a central leading role in the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, echoed frustration from diplomats and hostage families that Netanyahu is undermining his own negotiating team. “Netanyahu gave one order to the negotiators and a different message to his constituency. Then he speaks over the head of negotiators by telling Sinwar he won’t stop the war,” Nadav told i24 News.
Help build our movement and keep this a top priority amid this chaotic news environment. Sign, share and circulate our petition to President Biden here >>
J Street’s Commitment to Defeating Trump
The threats of a second Trump presidency are severe. Our rights and freedoms at home are at risk and the safety and freedoms of people in Israel and across the Middle East hang in the balance. We’ll have more to say on this on Sunday ahead of the RNC.
We were particularly alarmed by this month’s Supreme Court decision which – by creating an entirely new concept of presidential immunity – not only made a second Trump presidency more likely, but much more terrifying. If attempts to tamper with election results and incite a coup now lie beyond accountability, there is no telling how unbound, untethered and undemocratic a second Trump administration would be (see our full statement here).
J Street is committed to raising over $11 million for the Biden-Harris campaign and pro-democracy candidates up and down the ballot. Within our communities, on college campuses, and in battleground states across the country, we’re partnering with allies to rally the broadest possible coalition of voters to defend our democracy, defeat Trump and fix the ongoing damage the MAGA movement has wrought.
Learn more about supporting our political work by visiting the JStreetPAC website here.
J Street Policy Center Sounds Alarm over Hezbollah Escalation Risks
With tensions high on the Israel-Lebanon border, J Street is sounding the alarm over the catastrophic risk of all-out war in the north. A full-scale Israel-Hezbollah conflict would be disastrous, with the potential to swiftly overwhelm Israel’s missile defense systems.
We continue to fully support President Biden's efforts to secure de-escalation through intensive diplomatic efforts, deterring Iran and its regional proxies, building a better future for Lebanon and – perhaps most important – facilitating a negotiated ceasefire in Gaza. It’s vital that commentators and policymakers understand the stakes and what the US government can do. We’ve worked to make that clear with the J Street Policy Center’s recent issue brief and an urgent, widely attended online briefing.
J Street Responds to Netanyuahu’s Stealth Annexation Efforts
In the shadow of the Gaza war, Netanyahu's far-right government has continued its work to advance West Bank annexation – a core part of the government’s coalition agreement.
A recent New York Times article exposed a “secret government bid to cement control of the West Bank,” which we asserted “demands a response.” You can read our full response here, which our advocacy teams have been working to reinforce with the administration and on Capitol Hill. You can also find the J Street Policy Center’s latest brief here, which focused on these West Bank annexation efforts and the risks they pose to Palestinian freedoms and Israeli security – while providing cogent policy recommendations for US lawmakers.
Preparing for Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress
In a few weeks, when Prime Minister Netanyahu takes the podium in Congress, we can expect him to do what he has done before: Use the platform to bolster his political standing in Israel while driving a wedge into his political opponents in the United States.
It’s vital that commentators and Members of Congress understand the dynamics at play.
“Netanyahu comes to Washington attempting to salvage his shattered status in Israel,” warned J Street Israel Director Nadav Tamir in The Hill. “He’s seeking to use the theater of a congressional address as a backdrop for his political survival campaign – not to enhance and strengthen the US-Israel relationship.”
“I would encourage Members – whether they attend or not – to find ways to show they care about Israel and the US-Israel relationship other than providing a standing ovation to a Prime Minister who let down Israel’s guard and sought to dismantle its democracy,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote in an email shared on Capitol Hill.
Empowering Progressive Pro-Israel Students
On college campuses across the country, J Street U works to show Jewish and pro-Israel students that there is a home for those who reject the right-wing, anti-Palestinian version of "pro-Israel" – and that there is a proud, inclusive, welcoming political space for Jewish students. A space committed to unapologetically fighting antisemitism. A space that models the civil discourse and constructive dialogue needed to lower the temperature on campus and foster the safe, secure and creative environment students deserve.
To meet this challenging moment, in the coming school year, we will leverage a major donation match from a generous J Street supporter to greatly expand our staffing and resources to reach more students on more campuses. These funds will enable J Street U to hire new organizers, expand its supportive presence on campus, and both enhance and increase the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy educational programming J Street U implements on college campuses nationwide.
Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to help us expand J Street U and foster the next generation of pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy leaders.
Ground Eye View: Ensuring Our Constituencies Understand the Stakes
One of the best ways to help leaders understand the situation on the ground and the change necessary to chart a better course is to let them see what’s at stake with their own eyes.
Our Len Hill Education Program delegations to the region continue to be one of the most impactful, important parts of our work, and the summer is a particularly busy time.
- A J Street delegation of US policy and political professionals spent a week in the region meeting with counterparts, touring the Gaza envelope in the aftermath of October 7, and meeting with peace advocates and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
- In partnership with T’ruah, J Street organized two recent trips to Israel and the West Bank with a total of over 40 American rabbis, empowering these communal leaders to guide their communities at home.
- This week, we’re kicking off the first of two congressional staff delegations to the region. Our J Street itinerary provides an intensive course on the reality in Israel and Palestine with a special focus on how American foreign policy impacts the situation on the ground.
We continue to hear tremendous feedback from participants, who often return as energized, committed ambassadors not only for J Street, but for the hard work necessary to support Israeli-Palestinian peace. Our work in the United States to sustain this advocacy is equally important – please consider a contribution to sustain that work here.
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