[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

Tomorrow, J Streeters will watch – most of us with deep concern and some
in disbelief – as Donald Trump takes the oath of office for the second
time.

A man who has shown such contempt for our values, our democracy and our
freedoms will once again be entrusted with upholding and defending them.

We cannot know what this new era will bring, but we do know that to bring
about the future we want to see in the United States, in Israel and in
Palestine, we will need to work, engage and at times fight as hard as we
ever have.

First and foremost, we must ensure that the long-overdue ceasefire and
hostage release agreement that we warmly welcome as it goes into effect
today, holds and is built upon.

Hostage families have had their hopes crushed too many times before. Two
million civilians in Gaza are struggling to survive in intolerable
conditions in a war they did not start and have no capacity to end.
Families and communities in both Gaza and Israel’s south need to rebuild
and heal.

If reporting is correct, the incoming Trump Administration has already
shown greater willingness to use US leverage to end this war. We must
ensure they continue to do so, and are not manipulated or distracted by
extremists baying for the deal to implode.

Longer term, we must be clear. No Hamas 2.0. No settlements in Gaza. No
annexation.

Instead, we must make the case to a president who fancies himself as a
“Dealmaker in Chief” worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize that there is a true
“Deal of the Century” to be had – one that none of his predecessors proved
capable of landing. We call it the 23-state solution, and [ [link removed] ]you can read
about it on Word on the Street.

To prevent a return to this horrific, politically damaging conflict, the
US will need to press the Palestinian Authority to reform, Israel to
accept a demilitarized Palestinian state, and every country in the region
to normalize relations with Israel and put up the resources to secure and
rebuild Gaza.

Only a US president wielding dealmaking and diplomacy – not a blank check
for bombs and settlements – can ensure that this new temporary calm is
made permanent, and deliver peace, freedom and safety for all.

Donald Trump can do this and – if he does – we will support those efforts.

In parallel, here at home, we will remain fully committed to confronting
both the clear long and short-term threats emerging to our democratic
freedoms.

The authoritarian streak running through the MAGA movement has clear
contempt for checks and balances. Project 2025, the guidebook to the new
administration, outlines an alarming blueprint we must be ready to press
back against.

And, as President Biden also warned in his final address, “an oligarchy”
of “extreme wealth, power and influence” also threatens our democracy.

We must confront these threats in tandem: Protect our institutions while
recognizing the need to reform them.

Pro-democracy forces in this country have to convince our fellow Americans
that our democratic freedoms are essential to protect us from those who
seek unchecked power and ill-gained profit. And to do that, our
institutions will need to change and evolve to ensure they deliver for
everyday people and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

We must also confront the streams of unchecked money that distort our
politics and our policy on every issue, including Israel-Palestine.

In Israel too, we know the fight to protect the country’s democratic
future is far from over. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder
with Israelis fighting to stop the right-wing’s judicial coup and their
relentless march toward endless settlements, occupation and annexation.

Through this all, we will stand by our values and our people.

We must continue to confront the alarming embrace of antisemitism, white
nationalism and outright racism by too many leaders in this country – and
its proliferation online. We will oppose those whose critiques of Israeli
government policy veer into broader prejudice and antisemitism.

We will stand in solidarity with marginalized groups being targeted for
political gain in today’s horrific culture wars and expose and resist
those seeking to gain power through division.

We cannot know what the next four years will bring, but we do know that
our mission is clear:

* To uphold and defend our democratic freedoms and values as best we
can.
* To press forward – however and wherever possible – for a future that
brings security, freedom and peace to Israelis, Palestinians and
Americans alike.
* To stand in solidarity with all those unduly targeted or endangered in
this divisive political environment.

Friends, I’m so grateful to have you with us in this fight.

Yours,

Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street


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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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