Dear Friend,

This past Monday, the Democratic Party’s Platform Drafting Committee voted
to approve the most progressive, pro-Israel, pro-peace platform we’ve ever
seen from a major American political party.

Though the platform did not include everything we fought for -- explicit
opposition to the occupation was ultimately omitted -- our advocacy over
the past year clearly made a difference. For the first time ever, the
party spells out explicit support for Palestinian self-determination and
opposition to annexation and settlement expansion. Alongside a firm
commitment to Israel’s security and the US-Israel relationship, the
platform pledges to restore America’s strained ties with the Palestinians.

The results of our advocacy against annexation are evident far beyond this
important document. One month into Netanyahu’s window for "extending
sovereignty" over large swaths of the West Bank, no plan has been advanced
by his government. Meanwhile, in Congress, J Street allies are leading the
charge to back up anti-annexation rhetoric with action -- most
significantly by fighting to prevent US aid from being used to carry out
annexation.

But the fight is far from over. While we keep up the pressure to prevent
Netanyahu from implementing his expansionist vision before November, our
most important work over the coming months is to elect a president who
will take formal annexation off the agenda.

Then it's up to us to continue pushing the Democratic Party to grapple
with the stark injustices of the occupation -- and to advance an agenda
which meets the platform’s commitment to Palestinian rights, Israeli
security and an end to the conflict.

The months leading up to November will be pivotal for our movement. We’re
glad to have you with us as we take on the important work ahead.

Logan Bayroff
Director of Communications

Around J Street

J Street Welcomes 2020 Platform, Urges Commitment to Fight the Occupation

[1]Students at a Change the Platform info session
Since October, J Street has mounted a broad and energetic campaign urging
the Democratic Party to adopt a platform that commits to upholding Israeli
security and Palestinian rights. J Street U leaders forged new coalitions
with College Democrats on campuses around the country, more than two dozen
high-level Obama officials and foreign policy professionals joined the
effort and hundreds of rabbis and Jewish communal leaders signed petitions
to the platform committee.

The result is the most progressive and nuanced draft platform ever
produced by a major political party. As J Street founding staff member and
Bernie Sanders’ Jewish Outreach Director Joel Rubin put it in Haaretz,
“This platform, unlike its predecessors, focuses squarely on the
substantive issues that will facilitate a two-state solution.”

J Street welcomed the final platform language while noting the unfortunate
decision by the committee not to include a specific commitment to oppose
the occupation. As Jeremy Ben-Ami and James Zogby noted in a [ [link removed] ]joint
op-ed, there should be no hesitation to call out the occupation as “an
unacceptable injustice that -- in order to achieve a better future for
both peoples -- can and should be brought to an end.”

Understanding that a two-state solution is not on the immediate horizon,
advancing Palestinian rights and defending Israeli democracy will require
policymakers and communal officials to confront the realities and
injustices of the occupation head on. At J Street, we will continue
pushing them to do so.

J Street launches 100 days of action to defeat Trump and elect pro-Israel,
pro-peace candidates

[3]100 days
As of today, there are 93 days until the American people have the chance
to vote Trump out of office (and hand Mitch McConnell his retirement slip,
as well). Despite strong polling for Joe Biden and pro-Israel, pro-peace
candidates in the House and Senate, the race is far from won. We know that
President Trump will stop at nothing to claim victory, and we know our
country has never held a national election during a nation-wide pandemic.

That’s why last week, JStreetPAC launched its ‘100 Days to Win’ campaign.
Every Monday, we’ll send out seven concrete, impactful actions you can
take to help defeat Trump and elect pro-Israel, pro-peace majorities in
the House and Senate -- that’s one action for every day until November 3.

[ [link removed] ]If
you’d like to receive these emails and participate in these important
actions, please sign up to become a J Street member here.

J Street Condemns Trump’s Destruction of the US Refugee Program

[6]Trump visits the border wall
In June, the Trump administration announced a series of cruel and
arbitrary rule changes to the US refugee program which would further
restrict the ability of vulnerable refugees to gain asylum. In an official
submission to the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland
Security in July, J Street voiced our community’s strong opposition to
President Trump’s continued assault on the US refugee program.

“As representatives of the pro-Israel, pro-peace American Jewish
community, our history and our values compel us to oppose the proposed
rule changes in the strongest possible terms,” J Street’s submission read.
“We note with anger the particular cruelty these changes inflict on women,
children and LGBT+ individuals, the rights of whom our nation purports to
champion abroad. We note with distress that this latest proposal would
further undermine procedural fairness, disproportionately impair
applications from non-English speakers and reduce the chances of
resettlement being granted to those who need it most.”

As a primarily Jewish organization, J Street recalls our own people’s
painful history with America’s refugee system and is proud to stand
alongside organizations like HIAS in condemning this latest proposal.
[ [link removed] ]Read and share the full submission →

Our Israel: How bereaved families on both sides of the conflict are leading a
movement for reconciliation

[8]A Jerusalem Open House event
Israelis and Palestinians may be separated by barriers, war and division,
but for decades, the Parents Circle – Family Forum has been bringing
bereaved families from both sides of the conflict together to campaign for
peace.

“Our Israel” is a J Street initiative to spotlight amazing Israeli
organizations and individuals who share our values and who struggle, as we
do in the United States, to build and preserve a liberal, democratic
society underpinned by the principles of equality, freedom, justice and
peace. This month, we focus on the moving and powerful work of bereaved
families in Israel and the occupied territories who have united to tell
their stories and lay the groundwork for reconciliation.

“We’re the only advocacy group to say we don’t want any new members,” Robi
Damelin, who lost her son to the conflict, tells J Street in a moving
interview.
[ [link removed] ]Read and share the full profile →

J Street U Elects 2020-21 Board

J Street would like to congratulate Yoni Slater of George Washington
University on their election as J Street U President for the coming school
year. "I’m so excited to be leading a team of such talented, dedicated,
and qualified leaders into this crucial year ahead,” Yoni said, “and to
continuing to grow our presence on campus and advocating on local,
national and international issues with the support of everyone at J
Street."

The newly elected J Street U board also welcomes Brit Zack from Columbia
University, Julia Kupferman from Tufts University, Bentley Addison from
Johns Hopkins University, Han Fish-Bieler from Washington University,
Talla Khelghati from UCLA and Bayla Jaffe from the University of
Washington.

J Street U stood at the forefront of our #ChangeThePlatform campaign, and
last year, the team led our groundbreaking Let Our People Know model trip
to Israel and the West Bank. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in
the year ahead.

Do you know a college student who’d be interested in learning more about J
Street U? [ [link removed] ]Find J Street U on campus, or simply reply to this email to
ask about setting up a new chapter >>

Catch up on J Stream, Don’t Skip Out on J School

[11]A Jerusalem Open House event
The depth and range of J Street’s online programming continued to grow in
July, with the launch of J School’s interactive courses and a series of
high-profile J Stream events.

Through J School, we’re building on J Street’s commitment to being a go-to
resource for pro-Israel, pro-peace and pro-diplomacy education. In August,
the series will deliver masterclasses on Israeli politics, Palestinian
politics, the US-Israel relationship and the issues at the heart of
negotiations -- and how to solve them.
[ [link removed] ]Check out August's J School courses →

Must Watch on J Stream
7/13/2020
[13]Representative The Continued Struggle for Racial Justice: A
Pressley Conversation with Rep. Ayanna Pressley
[ [link removed] ]Watch →
7/20/2020
[15]Eric Gerrymandering and Voter Disenfranchisement: A Conversation with
Holder Attorney General Eric Holder
[ [link removed] ]Watch →
7/23/2020
[17]Flags Aid to Israel and Annexation: a Conversation with Rob Malley and
Andrew Miller
[ [link removed] ]Watch →
[ [link removed] ]Donate →

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[2]Street Talk Logo
© 2020 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace 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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