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
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POST-ELECTION UPDATES:
J Street Heralds Groundbreaking Debate in the Senate
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. 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
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.
Friends: Read, sign and share our petition to the White House here >>
White House Levies More Sanctions on Settler Extremists
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. Donate now to support our campaign >>
J Street Steps Up Pressure After White House Fails To Enforce Own Aid Targets
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. Read, sign and share our petition here >>
Trump Nominates Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador to Israel
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
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.
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
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. Do a deep dive into our full polling results here >>
A Final Note: Can We Count on Your Support?
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? Every donation strengthens our movement >>
