Dear Friend,
As a former Israeli diplomat, I’ve spent almost my entire career working on the US-Israel relationship. Sitting in meetings with Foreign Minister and later President Peres and Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, I’ve seen the profound impact American politics can have on Israel’s strategic decision-making -- for better and for worse.
Now, following a career of service to Israel that has taken me from the IDF to the Israeli Foreign Ministry to the Peres Center for Peace, I’m thrilled to be starting my next chapter as J Street Israel’s new Executive Director.
If, like me, you are determined to make the most of this moment of promise and opportunity for our movement, please consider a contribution to fuel our momentum as we head into 2021 >>
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Friend, it was just over a decade ago, when I was serving as Israel’s Consul General for New England, that I was approached by a newly-formed group of pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans intent on reshaping American political and communal conversation about Israel: They called themselves J Street.
Back then, I couldn’t have imagined the magnitude of success J Street would have in just a few short years -- from a basement start-up to an influential political force.
As a diplomat in America, it was often frustrating to have a front-row seat as more conservative groups in the American Jewish establishment worked repeatedly to block US administrations from promoting the leadership and policies that would help Israel reach peace with the Palestinians. Their “back the Israeli government’s position, no matter what” definition of “pro-Israel” enabled the very worst impulses of the Israeli right, and undercut Israel’s founding ideals of democracy and equality.
J Street’s work to reshape the debate and challenge this tired political playbook is bringing this very harmful, limiting status quo to an end -- and not a moment too soon.
If there’s any silver lining to the Trump-Netanyahu era, it’s that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s embrace of President Trump has brought a jolt of clarity to many in America -- a long-overdue realization that being pro-Israel need not necessarily mean supporting each and every one of the Israeli government’s positions.
Now, progressive American Jews and progressive Israelis have the opportunity to truly work together to help promote our shared democratic values -- and that includes a commitment to Palestinian rights. Please help us make the most of this political moment with a contribution to sustain our work to shape a new, values-driven vision of American global leadership >>
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I’m a proud former IDF officer, but I know that simply having the strongest military in the region is not enough to solve Israel's most acute challenges -- which require diplomacy and political resolve.
I firmly believe that reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians and establishing a viable Palestinian state are among Israel’s most urgent existential priorities.
It is the only way to halt our slide into a one-state nightmare in which our government forces us to choose between giving up our status as a homeland for the Jewish people, or being an undemocratic state which denies equal rights to millions under its control. It is the only way to end a decades-long occupation that corrupts our values, violates the Palestinian’s rights and freedoms and places thousands of young Israelis on the front lines of an unnecessary conflict (my son amongst them).
There is much work ahead -- and I’m excited to get to it. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the warm welcome I have received so far, and for everything you’ve done to help build and strengthen the J Street movement over the past decade.
I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish in the years to come.
Yours,
Nadav Tamir,
J Street Israel Executive Director
