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 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 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 “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 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 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 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 here. He was a truly incredible man, and our country is better for his moral leadership.
