[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

Earlier today, hundreds of J Street leaders from across the country came
together in the US capital to talk about the critical issues that are so
important to us all.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and our collective anguish couldn’t be
deeper – over the fate of the hostages, the ongoing war in Gaza and the
lack of leadership and vision needed to get us out of this mess.

The specific challenges our movement is grappling with seem endless:

Defeating Trump, protecting democracy, electing Kamala Harris. Grappling
with toxic polarization. Combating those who traffic in antisemitism and
peddle conspiracy theories. Keeping our children safe. Bringing the
temperature down on college campuses.

Ending the war and bringing home the hostages still being held by Hamas.
Charting a new path to peace and ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
for good. Containing the challenge of Iran while avoiding another
catastrophic, costly and counterproductive regional conflict.

Together, we are doing everything we can to meet this moment. I shared
three key takeaways this morning in Washington, and I’d like to share them
with you as well.

First: J Street is now the Mainstream Voice of Jewish and pro-Israel
Americans when it comes to Israel, the Middle East and American politics.

For too long we’ve played defense, focused on proving our pro-Israel bona
fides or responding to 15-year-old slanders. It’s now time to proudly
stake our claim to the mantle of speaking for the sane, rational and
compassionate center of our community.

Majorities agree with us on nearly every issue, including overwhelming
support for the most fundamental principle which binds our movement
together: You can care deeply about the state and people and safety of
Israel on the one hand AND care deeply about Palestinian freedom, dignity
and self-determination on the other.

Further, 90% of Jewish Americans agree that you can be pro-Israel and
criticize the Israeli government, even fiercely. Over 70% oppose the
Israeli settlement movement’s efforts to take over the West Bank. And
large majorities understand that there is no military solution to the
conflict.

In Washington, leaders now understand that our views and movement are the
mainstream.

J Street’s endorsees now comprise over 60% of Democrats in the House and
Senate and – having raised over $4.5 million – we are now the largest
Jewish organizational fundraiser for the Harris-Walz campaign.

Now, let’s review what’s NOT mainstream.

First, the view that all the land in Israel-Palestine, from the river to
the sea, belongs to one national identity or the other – be it the
extremists who deny the existence of Palestinians on the one side, or
radicals who seek an end to the State of Israel on the other.

What’s also not mainstream: The AIPAC view that nothing else matters to
Jewish Americans than blind support for Israel.

Few are falling for the tired argument that everyone who criticizes the
Netanyahu government or expresses concern for Palestinians is driven by
antisemitism. That if you do, then you can be “many things, but not
pro-Israel.”

Second: J Street has long been synonymous with the term “two-state
solution.”

I’m proud of that. We branded our movement successfully and well.

But the term now carries the weight of past failures and increasingly
shuts people’s ears both on the right and on the left, both Israelis and
Palestinians.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There will never be an end to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict without an independent Palestinian state
peacefully coexisting next to Israel.

Even after all these decades, it remains true that the only way for Israel
to remain secure, democratic and Jewish is for there to be two states
between the infamous “river” and “sea.”

But the time has come for a reframe of our message about the solution we
seek.

The fact is, what we are proposing is much bigger than just two states:
It’s a full and complete resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It’s the
acceptance of the State of Israel by Arab states. Recognition by all Arab
and Muslim countries around the world. A guarantee of peace, backed up by
Israel, its regional neighbors and the United States.

I'm calling it the 24-state solution, and none of it is possible if the
24th state isn’t Palestine.

To gain all the benefits of full normalization, Israel will have to commit
to working hand in hand with its neighbors over the coming years to build
a secure, successful state of Palestine as well.

A regional approach to security. A commitment to rebuilding Gaza through a
Marshall Plan-style investment and a revitalization of the Palestinian
Authority in nearly every respect.

Unlocking an integrated, secure and prosperous future for an Israel at
peace and fully accepted by its neighbors is a bold, exciting and positive
vision – one which we can and will rally support around.

Third: We need to push for a clear, consistent approach to US aid to
Israel.

Let me start by restating J Street’s full commitment to Israel’s security.
Israel has real enemies and serious security challenges. Iran in
particular is a bad actor in a dangerous region doing nearly everything in
its power to challenge and destroy Israel.

But it’s also the case that aid to Israel is provided – as it is to any
country – subject to laws and rules governing its use.

Rules and oversight on how weapons may be used. Rules that make clear that
recipients of US assistance must not impede the provision of humanitarian
aid in conflict zones. That units found to be committing gross violations
of human rights should not be receiving our weapons.

And of course, there’s an entire body of international law governing the
conduct of war that we expect our allies to follow.

“Isn’t it time to stop sending weapons to Israel altogether?” some ask.

Our answer is no. J Street does not support an arms embargo. And we don’t
support exceptional new conditions on aid to Israel that aren’t placed on
other countries.

But we do believe – as we have always said – that aid to Israel should not
be provided in the form of a blank check. It should be subject to the
exact same oversight, accountability and restrictions that we apply to all
other countries.

The President already has all the power he – and one day soon, she – needs
to ensure that the aid we provide and the weapons we send are being used
in accordance with our laws.

Currently, however, it is clear that exceptions are being made. Rules are
being bent. Laws and regulations are not being rigorously applied.

The Biden Administration can and must do more. It can do more to leverage
existing power to ensure the Netanyahu government is living up to its
humanitarian and civilian protection obligations in Gaza.

It can do more to press for changes to IDF conduct in the West Bank. And
it can do much more to press for a crackdown on settler violence, an end
to settlement expansion, and to hold bad actors accountable.

It is because of this extremist Israeli government’s record and failure to
act in compliance with the law that we are urging the President to exert
more pressure – including by withholding certain offensive weapons
shipments.

To some, steps taken to enforce existing law and policy with respect to
Israel may feel like the imposition of new rules – but that’s only because
they’ve been so inconsistently and inadequately applied to Israel in the
past.

This may not be satisfactory to some who want to hear bluntly and simply
that it’s time to stop sending arms to Israel altogether, but I firmly
believe that the position articulated above represents our core
principles, our core values and the sentiment of the overwhelming majority
of our movement.

As we continue to navigate this unspeakably painful moment, as we give
everything we’ve got to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris, and
as we work to press for a better path forward, I want to thank you, from
the bottom of my heart. We couldn’t do any of this without you.

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback – we are
all in this together.

With gratitude and in solidarity,

Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street

[ [link removed] ]DONATE
[ [link removed] ]Threads [ [link removed] ]Facebook [ [link removed] ]Instagram [ [link removed] ]Twitter
© 2024 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

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