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).
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
