[ ]J Street [ ]
Dear Friend --

This week, we witnessed the signing of the first new agreements between
Israel and neighboring countries in well over two decades.

These are historic agreements that J Street welcomes, as they provide
clear recognition of Israel’s valid, legitimate and permanent place in the
region. They also demonstrate that international diplomacy can unlock
meaningful progress on issues we care about.

These agreements build on years -- decades even -- of growing alignment
between Israel and some Arab countries around shared strategic, security
and economic interests. The agreements are also clearly contingent on
Israel pressing pause on plans for unilateral de jure annexation on the
West Bank -- a welcome development for all of us who have mobilized to
stop annexation from moving forward.

At the same time, we’ve been clear about what this deal is not. It’s not
the earth-shattering “new dawn of peace” that Trump and Netanyahu have
branded it, with the hope of receiving a political boost. The truth is
these accords bear more resemblance to a business deal than a peace
agreement, bringing together partners who share common interests and
challenges.

Israel has never been at war with Bahrain or the UAE, and these agreements
do nothing to help resolve the core Israeli-Palestinian conflct, which
impacts the daily lives of Israelis and Palestinians and imperils their
futures. Rockets fired from Gaza the very same day as the signing of these
agreements underscore the point that the real, immediate threats to
Israelis remain unaddressed.

A “new dawn of peace” is urgently needed, but we know that the only way to
secure Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people is
to reach a comprehensive peace agreement between Israelis and
Palestinians, to create a Palestinian state and to deliver real freedom
and security to both peoples.

[ [link removed] ]We remain committed to that essential work. If you do too, please
consider making a donation to help us reach our Rosh Hashanah goal and
continue leading the way >>

Our movement can recognize these agreements for the positive step they
are, without pretending that they solve problems they don’t -- or using
them as just another excuse to rebuke and sideline the Palestinians. Our
movement remains committed to fighting for true and lasting peace, to
ending the systemic injustice of the 53-year occupation and to responding
to developments in the region with nuance, empathy and real impact.

Friend, we face an extraordinarily difficult political moment
both in the United States and Israel, where a corrupted politics of narrow
self-interest is tearing at the seams of our society and our democracy and
exacerbating a growing public health disaster.

But this Rosh Hashanah, I choose to focus on optimism as we enter the year
ahead. Together, our pro-Israel, pro-peace movement can play an essential
role in vanquishing the cruelty and callousness of the Trump
administration, and helping to rebuild a compassionate, values-driven
domestic and international agenda. We can seize a historic opportunity to
elect an administration that can launch a new era of principled,
diplomacy-first foreign policy, and to help shape a new vision of
pro-Israel, pro-peace leadership in the Middle East.

[ [link removed] ]If everyone reading this email chips in only a few dollars, we’ll be
able to hit our Rosh Hashanah goal and enter the new year ready to drive
the change we know is possible and needed. Please consider a donation
today >>

[ [link removed] ]$9 [ [link removed] ]$36
[ [link removed] ]$100 [ [link removed] ]$250
[ [link removed] ]$500 [ [link removed] ]Other

With your support, we’ll keep up the fight against creeping, de facto
annexation, which moves forward every day in the West Bank. We’ll keep
calling for strong diplomacy to reduce tensions and conflicts throughout
the region -- and to avoid a disastrous war of choice with Iran. We’ll
keep promoting the voices of Israelis and Palestinians who demand real
peace -- and won’t settle for empty promises.

Thank you for being with us in the fight.

L’shana tova,
Jeremy Ben-Ami


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© 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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