Friends,
This is significant.
Today, almost 90 members of the House and Senate released a J Street-backed letter calling on President Biden to issue sanctions against fringe groups and two of Netanyahu’s most extreme, ultranationalist ministers.
The letter condemns Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for using their positions to incite settler violence, shield perpetrators from accountability, ramp up demolitions and force thousands of Palestinians from their homes.
They’re walking, talking violations of our values who’ve earned their place on the sanctions list. The violence and instability they fuel puts everyone at risk, Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Building the pressure for these sanctions has been a J Street priority, and they form a key plank in the measures we’re pressing Biden to take before he leaves office.
A sincere thank you to the thousands of J Streeters who signed our petition to Congress and who took the extra step of calling their Senators and Representatives.
Now, we have to keep this momentum going. Friends: Can you sign our petition to President Biden, adding your voice of support for this letter calling for action?
President Biden: Sanction Smotrich and Ben-Gvir Now
Add your name now ✍️
This letter sends a clear message to President Biden: Members of Congress have had enough.
So too have Jewish Americans. As our poll last week showed, these sanctions have overwhelming support in our community: Two-thirds of respondents supported them.
That’s because we know these men are a threat to Palestinian families, Israel’s future and our Jewish, democratic values as well. As Jeremy said earlier today, they’re outlaws in ministers’ robes – using their power to incite violence and steal land from Palestinians living under occupation while championing annexation and the destruction of Israel’s democracy.
It’s commendable that President Biden has taken action so far to sanction extremists in the West Bank – Israeli and Palestinian alike – but if we truly want to deter violence and give force to our words about Palestinian rights, we cannot shy away from seeking accountability at the top.
Members of Congress have had enough. Our community has had enough. Together, we must demand accountability.
With Trump about to enter the White House, Biden is running out of time to act. But strong leadership today will set a new bar for action in the future. We expect allied nations will follow suit too, applying sanctions of their own which can’t be reversed by Trump taking office.
Please read, sign and share our petition – and we’ll follow up with more information on how we can rally support while there’s still time.
We’ll be in touch with more updates on our end-of-year agenda shortly.
Thank you, once again, for your support.
Lily Adelstein
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, J Street
