[ [link removed] ]J Street Conference 2021

Friend --

Yesterday, we kicked off Day One of our first ever all-virtual J Street
National Conference. Even though we can’t all be together in one big space
this year, the excitement and energy were palpable.

Packed with remarks from activists, policymakers and political leaders --
and inspiring performances from musicians and artists -- the program
focused on the political moment we face here in the United States and the
situation on the ground for Israelis and Palestinians.

The American Political Moment

On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in American politics joined us
to talk about the lessons drawn from our united victory over Donald Trump
and the challenges ahead in our shared fight for progressive, democratic
values both at home and abroad.

Kicking off the discussion were warm welcomes from House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (tap the tweets below for
excerpts from each speaker).

[ [link removed] ]Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the J Street Conference

Newly elected Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff spoke
movingly about the fight against anti-Semitic, white-nationalist and
anti-democratic forces in our country.

Rep. Katie Porter spoke inspiringly about the individual power we all have
to make change in this country, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben
Wikler looked back on the power of grassroots organizing in 2020 and
former Texas congressman and senate candidate Beto O’Rourke told us why J
Street had a bigger impact on him than any other group during his time in
Congress.

[ [link removed] ]Beto O'Rourke at the J Street Conference

Close friends of J Street in Congress -- including Reps. Jan Schakowsky,
Sara Jacobs, Andy Kim, Tom Malinowski and Abigail Spanberger -- spoke
about how the new pro-Israel, pro-peace playbook is enabling Democratic
candidates to run and to win on a platform of principled, pragmatic,
popular diplomacy-first policies.

Closing out the evening, we heard remarks from DNC Chair Jaime Harrison
and actress, activist and friend of J Street Debra Messing, both of whom
spoke powerfully about the importance of carrying forward the organizing
energy of the Trump era into 2021 and beyond.

[ [link removed] ]Actor and activist Debra Messing at the J Street Conference

On the Ground in Israel, Palestine and the Region

Earlier on Sunday, J Street was proud to host a nuanced, wide-ranging
deep-dive into the state of the conflict, the situation in the region and
the current trends in Israeli and Palestinian politics.

In his first ever formal address to J Street, Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution and his
hopes for revitalizing US-Palestinian relations under the Biden
administration. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert explained how
his experiences negotiating with President Abbas helped prove to him that
peace is possible. And a wide range of Israeli and Palestinian activists
spoke about the ideas and campaigns at the heart of their struggle for a
better future.

We were also joined by a range of progressive Israeli political leaders,
including Joint List Leader Ayman Odeh, Meretz Leader Nitzan Horowitz and
Labor Party Leader Merav Michaeli. As MK Horowitz declared, American and
Israeli progressives have a common goal: “fight the fascists together.”

In a widely praised presentation -- now available on demand to conference
attendees -- leading Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard explained
in detail exactly how the process of de facto annexation in the West Bank
is perpetuating injustice, entrenching occupation and paving the way
toward formal annexation and endless conflict.

[ [link removed] ]Meretz Leader Nitzan Horowitz at the J Street Conference

More High-Profile Leaders Monday

It was an inspiring, thought-provoking beginning to J Street’s largest and
most accessible conference ever. Today, we’ve got even more big names and
compelling programming lined up, with mainstage sessions on Living Our
Progressive Values and US Middle East Policy in the Biden Era.

Monday's special guests include US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Chris
Murphy, Representatives Barbara Lee, Jamie Raskin, Ayanna Pressley and
Jamaal Bowman and more.

For his work on the Camp David Accords and his continued committment to
peacebuilding in the Middle East and beyond, we'll also present President
Jimmy Carter with J Street's Tzedek v’Shalom 'Peace and Justice' award.

You do NOT want to miss this -- and you don’t have to!

[ [link removed] ]If you haven’t yet registered, you can do so right now. You'll receive
full access to anything you missed yesterday, and all the great live
content coming up today.

[ [link removed] ]REGISTER NOW

Thank you to everyone who came together to make Day One such a spectacular
success. I can't wait to join you for our second day of programming later
today.

Christine Beresniova
Director of Education and Public Engagement


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© 2021 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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