[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

It seems every time I go to write an update on our work, there’s a flood
more news.

Sanctions against Israel’s largest settlement builder. Huckabee as Trump’s
Ambassador. ICC warrants. The Senate weapons vote. You can find a full
summary below.

While the pace is frenetic, our focus remains clear: Pressing President
Biden to take action while still in office to end the war, free the
hostages, get aid into Gaza, sanction extremists and blunt the impact of
the looming Trump-Netanyahu agenda.

Then, next year, we’ll be a leading force in opposing the Trump
Administration’s radical agenda and an unrestrained Netanyahu and the
devastation he may wreak.

As important, we’ll continue to press for a better path that can provide
security for Israel and freedom, safety and self-determination for
Palestinians.

Find a fuller recap of our work below. And thank you, sincerely, for your
support.

– Adina Vogel Ayalon, Vice President and Chief of Staff

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

POST-ELECTION UPDATES:

J Street Heralds Groundbreaking Debate in the Senate

[2]Outside the Capitol

On Wednesday, we saw the beginnings of what we hope will be a much broader
shift in the Democratic Party on the politics of Israel, with more than
one-third of Senate Democrats voting to disapprove a series of specific
offensive weapons transfers.

“It was a clear message of disapproval over the Netanyahu government’s
conduct of the war in Gaza and the Biden Administration’s ineffective
approach,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.

Contrary to claims by opponents, US support for Israel’s security was
never at risk. All those who voted for a resolution have voted for
billions in security aid to Israel in the past.

“We seem to have forgotten that we have the power to influence our allies’
conduct, and that we can do so without betraying our ally,” said Senator
Jon Ossoff. “The United States will remain Israel’s closest ally. Our
commitment is ironclad. But no foreign government is simply entitled as a
matter of right to American weapons with no strings attached.”

J Street proudly led nationwide advocacy for senators to support these
resolutions and make clear their reasons for doing so. Thank you to
everyone who helped take action. As senators now come under fire from
right-wing groups, our ongoing support and gratitude is vital.

Vote by vote, office by office, we’re working to transform the Democratic
Party now and in the years ahead. [ [link removed] ]Your support of $18, $36 or
$90 – or any other amount – will help sustain that work >>

J Street Continues to Press Biden To Take Immediate, Lasting Action

[4]President Biden

Our top priority now through Inauguration Day continues to be our campaign
for President Biden to take enduring steps to address the hostage crisis,
get aid into Gaza, erect roadblocks for extremists and blunt the impact of
the Trump-Netanyahu agenda.

There’s a long history of outgoing presidents taking groundbreaking,
substantive action in their final days in office, and this administration
still has the opportunity to redefine its legacy.

The steps we continue to press for – including a UN Resolution against
annexation, enforcement of US laws on humanitarian aid and sanctions
against extremists – are designed to have lasting impacts and lay down a
marker for future administrations.

We’ve seen some progress, but it’s not enough. We have to keep up the
fight.

[ [link removed] ]Friends: Read, sign and share our petition to the White House
here >>

White House Levies More Sanctions on Settler Extremists

[6]Protesting Smotrich

On Monday, the White House announced sanctions against Amana, the largest
builder of settlements in the West Bank which also uses farming outposts
to expand settlements and seize Palestinian land. The sanctions will
immediately impair their operations.

We continue to press the administration to go further and issue sanctions
against extremist, pro-annexation Netanyahu Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and
Itamar Ben-Gvir for inciting settler violence and shielding perpetrators
from accountability.

Earlier this month, 88 members of the House and Senate sent the White
House a J Street-backed letter supporting the sanctions. Our election poll
– the largest survey of Jewish voters this year – shows a supermajority of
66% support for the measure.

Sanctions now will have a lasting impact, with our allies expected to
follow suit and banks forced to take steps that future administrations
can’t easily reverse. J Street also welcomed new sanctions on Hamas
leaders and financiers and continues to support sanctions against all
those who foment extremism, violence and acts of terror.

We’re continuing to build momentum and ramp up the pressure for action.
[ [link removed] ]Donate now to support our campaign >>

J Street Steps Up Pressure After White House Fails To Enforce Own Aid
Targets

[8]Children getting food in Gaza

We won’t sugarcoat it, J Street has been deeply frustrated by the Biden
Administration’s inadequate response to the Netanyahu government’s
continued obstruction of humanitarian aid.

Report cards produced by leading humanitarian agencies – as well as the
Israeli government’s own data – show the Netanyahu government has fallen
far short of aid benchmarks set out by the Biden Administration. The State
Department itself said it had “failed” to meet the targets.

Backtracking from these requests is not only a breach of our laws that
makes America look weak, but will cost lives and allow Netanyahu to
continue to trash Israel’s reputation and mock our values. The law is
clear: Unrestricted US arms cannot be provided to governments actively
obstructing aid.

We’re continuing to make the case – publicly and privately – that
President Biden should not end his term by bending US law to allow
Netanyahu to block aid from starving families, opening the door to further
horrors under Trump. Biden has the chance instead to give force to his
stated empathy for the Palestinian people and to strengthen US legal
safeguards before the transition.

J Street is continuing to ratchet up the public and political pressure,
including pressing Members of Congress to speak out. [ [link removed] ]Read, sign and
share our petition here >>

Trump Nominates Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador to Israel

[10]Mike Huckabee on talkshow

J Street strongly opposes Donald Trump’s selection of former Arkansas
Governor Mike Huckabee as the next US Ambassador to Israel.

Huckabee is a right-wing evangelical minister with a long history of
championing settlement expansion, annexation and a radical “Greater
Israel” agenda. “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian,” he was
once caught on camera saying.

“The mask is off,” we said in a quote picked up by The New York Times.
“What we’re seeing today, with messianic settlers in Israel and MAGA
Christian Zionists in the US in charge of the relationship, is a world
that no one in our parents’ and grandparents’ time would recognize.”

J Street will work within our communities and with our supporters in
Congress to ensure a rigorous hearing and confirmation process that
exposes just how dangerous and out of touch the anti-democratic,
pro-annexation “Hucka-Bibi” agenda really is.

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants Against Netanyahu and Gallant

[11]Netanyahu

For anyone with a deep connection to Israel, it’s a deeply distressing
milestone to see arrest warrants issued for two top government officials,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and recently fired Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant. It’s yet another sign of the lasting damage this government is
doing to the State of Israel, its place in the world and its long-term
security.

A panel of judges upheld the prosecutor's request for warrants, finding
there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the two men knowingly and
intentionally violated international laws, including the use of starvation
as a method of warfare and other serious crimes against humanity.

“There will be many in Israel and in the American Jewish community who
will look at all these actions and blame them on antisemitism or inherent
enmity for Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people,” we wrote
in a statement. “This is the wrong response.”

Israelis, instead, need to consider that many of their friends around the
world are looking at the government of Israel’s actions in the wake of the
barbaric terrorist attack of October 7 and sending an unmistakable signal:
You have gone too far. Change course. It is time for this war to end and
to start creating a pathway out of this nightmare.

Leaders in the United States may agree or disagree with the judges'
decision, but we urge them not to score political points by attacking
courts or undermining the rule of law.

[ [link removed] ]Read and share J Street’s full response to the ICC warrants here >>

J Street Poll: Jewish Voters Reject Trump, Support Stronger Action Against
Netanyahu

[13]Ballot drop box

J Street’s election poll – the largest national survey of Jewish voters –
found that an overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans rejected Trump and
continue to support strong measures to pressure Netanyahu to change course
in Gaza, including withholding some arms.

Our poll found that despite GOP efforts to paint the Democratic Party as
anti-Israel and antisemitic, a full 71% of Jewish voters backed Harris
nationwide, with the number rising to 75% in the critical swing state of
Pennsylvania.

While the overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans said they felt
connected to Israel, less than 15% said that it was one of their top
voting issues. More than two-thirds of Jewish voters continue to support a
two-state solution, with 71% supporting more humanitarian aid to
Palestinians and 66% supporting sanctions on extremist ministers.

Netanyahu’s approval has cratered, with 63% of Jewish Americans viewing
him unfavorably. A full 90% percent believe that someone can criticize the
Israeli government and still be pro-Israel and 62% support withholding
certain offensive weapons from Israel in order to push Netanyahu for an
immediate ceasefire and hostage deal.

J Street continues to be the proud, unapologetic voice for the mainstream
values held by the majority of our community. [ [link removed] ]Do a deep dive into our
full polling results here >>

A Final Note: Can We Count on Your Support?

[15]Give Voice to your values with J Street graphic

Unlike some of the groups we’re up against, we don’t have right-wing
megadonors delivering endless streams of cash. We count on grassroots
donations from supporters across the country – just like you – who come
together to fuel our shared fight.

Like most advocacy groups, we count on end-of-year donations – between now
and December 31 – for almost 50% of our grassroots fundraising total.

Can we count on you for a donation of $18, $36 or
$90 – or any other amount – to fuel this work? [ [link removed] ]Every
donation strengthens our movement >>


[ [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]