[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

It’s been a historic week in Washington, where we marked the peaceful
transition of power on a – thankfully – uneventful January 6th and honored
the life of a legendary and exceptional American peacemaker and human
being, Jimmy Carter.

On Monday, exactly four years after a violent mob, encouraged by the very
person who is returning to the Oval Office, tried to overthrow our
democracy, we witnessed Congress peacefully certify the results of
November’s election – exactly as the transfer of power is supposed to work
in a democracy.

Today, I had the honor and great privilege of attending the late
President’s funeral at the National Cathedral. It was incredibly moving.
There were lots of tears and even more tributes. Tributes to his humility,
to his humanity, and to the extraordinary contributions he made over the
course of 100 years – among them, his tireless efforts to bring peace to
the Middle East.

As I returned to my office, I continued to reflect on his legacy and all
that he taught us about diplomacy in the region.

My mind also returned to the current moment and whether – however
improbable it might seem – the incoming administration could learn some
lessons from Jimmy Carter as it seeks to make progress toward stabilizing
the region. I shared some of my thoughts about the lessons Carter could
impart to the Trump team earlier this week in an [ [link removed] ]op-ed in The Forward.

These next four years will not be easy for the pro-Israel, pro-peace,
pro-democracy community. Far from it. But, with strategic advocacy and
with adherence to our values, we will make the best of a difficult
situation.

My mantra for the next four years: “Advance where we can, defend where we
must.”

In plain English, that means recognizing we’ll be on defense a lot. We
will have to choose our battles carefully. We have limited capital and
energy, so we should only fight those battles where we have a shot at
winning or where the fight itself – even if it’s a losing one – will
clarify other choices down the road.

Defend

We will oppose any effort, outside of a negotiated agreement, to formally
annex territory to Israel, to expand settlements into new areas and to
extend formal legal rule over people who are not given full civil and
voting rights.

As we [ [link removed] ]shared on January 6th, unlike other Israel advocacy groups, our
commitment to democratic principles is a red line as well. J Street will
do everything in our power to safeguard the institutions and rights that
the vast majority of American Jews hold dear. That’s why we stand with the
pro-democracy camp in Israel as it fights to preserve the democratic
character of that state.

We will continue to fight the alarming embrace of antisemitism, white
nationalism and outright racism by some in this country.

We will push back against those encouraging political violence as a means
to their desired ends.

And we will work tirelessly to set the record straight when lies and
disinformation clog the path to a more just world.

Advance

Even in the Trump/Netanyahu 2.0 era, there will be opportunities for
history to move in the direction we favor, and we will not oppose positive
advances simply because of who’s in charge.

First, we will push for and support a deal to end the war in Gaza that
brings the hostages home, surges aid to Gaza and sets the stage for
post-war governance. This is a goal that crosses borders and party lines.

The day after, whenever it comes, is when we should immediately begin to
advocate for what I outlined in my Substack newsletter over the weekend as
the “[ [link removed] ]23-State Solution.” The extraordinary fallout of this conflict is
not contained within the borders of Israel and Palestine. Our solutions
shouldn’t be either.

A 23-state solution presents an alternative to the
Netanyahu/Smotrich/Ben-Gvir path of annexation and endless conflict – a
path that is not in the United States’ interest. What’s more, a 23-state
solution is a viable path for an incoming president looking to build off
of the Abraham Accords – something he sees as a major success of his first
term.

As I wrote in The Forward last Friday, the Trump team would do well to
heed the warnings left for us by Jimmy Carter: There is no way to end the
conflict in the Middle East if the core issue of Palestinian rights isn’t
addressed. And to those who doubt that there’s a chance of positive
movement under this administration, I urge you to read my [ [link removed] ]column from
two weeks ago, outlining some of the conflicting voices within Donald
Trump’s council of advisers.

Looking forward

A key part of J Street’s [ [link removed] ]plan to fight Trump is looking towards the
future even as we fight our immediate battles.

In November, we pledged that we’d get to work building the infrastructure
to defeat MAGA leaders in future elections, shape policy that Democratic
opponents can run on, and support the next generation of pro-Israel,
pro-peace, pro-democracy leaders. We will also strengthen ties with our
allies in Israel to fight for Israel’s democratic future and stand up
against the anti-democratic, pro-annexation agenda.

Before I sign off, I want to express my deepest concern and support to
community members in the Los Angeles area who have been affected by the
devastating wildfires and to those with friends and family impacted by
this gut-wrenching disaster. Please know we are thinking of you all and
praying for your safety.

This new year will be tough, and for many, it already has been. But
together, we will defend and advance – and continue to lift each other up
when the moment demands.

Thankful to have you on this journey,

Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street

PS. I’m looking forward to continuing my foray into the world of blogging
on my newly launched Substack page. You can subscribe [ [link removed] ]here to Word on
the Street for weekly columns and recordings of sit-down interviews with
rotating guests of honor each month. And if you haven’t read it yet, find
my op-ed on the legacy and lessons of President Carter [ [link removed] ]here. He was a
truly incredible man, and our country is better for his moral leadership.


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© 2025 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.



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