J STREET LAUDS PRESIDENT BIDEN AND DIFFICULT, SELFLESS DECISION
July 21, 2024
President Joe Biden has dedicated his life to serving our country – not least by defending our democracy and defeating President Trump in 2020. His decision today to step back from his re-election campaign has our full support and admiration.
“This is a difficult and selfless decision from a true patriot. We’re proud to have endorsed President Biden’s election and re-election campaigns, and to have supported one of the most consequential presidencies in modern history,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “Israel could ask for no more true and dedicated friend in peacetime and in wartime.”
President Biden pushed back on the Netanyahu government’s anti-democratic reforms, was the first president to visit Israel during wartime following the October 7 attacks, and has consistently sought to advocate for the humanity of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians in a fraught political climate. Here at home, he has stood up against the politics of fear and division, and made the cause of fighting antisemitism a national priority. He passed the most significant climate laws our nation has ever seen, rallied the world in defense of Ukraine and continues to champion our shared democratic values.
J Street remains entirely committed to defending our democracy and rallying the broadest possible coalition of voters to defeat Donald Trump in November.
If Donald Trump is victorious, MAGA fanatics would be free to bulldoze the democratic foundations of our union, ban abortion nationwide, supercharge the climate crisis, roll back LGBT+ rights, hand victory to Putin in Ukraine, and sow antisemitism and conspiracy theories deeper into our society.
In Israel, Netanyahu and the Israeli right would have full White House backing for their wildest fantasies – no respect for Palestinian lives and freedoms, a judicial coup, West Bank annexation, settlements in Gaza, and escalation risking all-out war with Hezbollah and Iran.
But if our pro-democracy movement rallies together – as we have before – we can stand up for our values, defeat those who threaten our future, fix the damage that’s been wrought, and work toward a safe, peaceful and free future for all.
As President Biden has said: “It’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
