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
