Friend --
Last night capped off two blockbuster days at J Street’s largest, most accessible National Conference ever.
With important, powerful remarks from US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders and an impressive range of inspiring speakers, yesterday was a powerful call to action in our fight to advance diplomacy, justice and democracy.
Across every session -- from combating white nationalism and antisemitism to shaping a new era of progressive foreign policy -- the discussions were driven by our shared Jewish, progressive values of empathy, solidarity and tikkun olam.
Closing out her very last conference as Chair of the J Street Board, Alex Stanton issued a direct commitment, along with two other members of the board, to personally double all new donations over the next 29 days, up to $50,000.
To make a contribution to our shared pro-Israel, pro-peace mission, and have it matched dollar for dollar, donate here >>
American Middle East Policy in the Biden Era
At yesterday evening’s mainstage session, J Street was pleased to welcome not one, but two senior Biden administration officials. Cedric Richmond, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, warmly opened the evening session, which was capped off by a closing keynote address from US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield made President Biden’s commitment to diplomacy, human rights and Israel’s security crystal clear, reaffirming the administration’s support for a two-state solution and commitment to repairing international relationships after the damage wrought by four years of President Trump (click the images below to play excerpts from each session).
J Street was immensely proud to honor former President Jimmy Carter with our Tzedek v'Shalom ‘Peace and Justice’ award for his outstanding work securing the Camp David Accords and his ongoing commitment to peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians and around the world.
A host of other American and international leaders also joined this evening. Former Israeli Opposition Leader and Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni and former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov both spoke of the very real possibility for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if leaders on both sides would truly commit to peace.
Senator Bernie Sanders spoke powerfully of the urgent need for clarity of purpose as we seek to defend human rights and end the occupation. “There can be no debate but that the people of Israel have the right to live in peace and security, without fear of violence or terrorism. But that is a right that the Palestinian people must also have,” Sanders said. “We must be willing to say loudly and clearly: the occupation must end.”
“In terms of aid to Israel, in my view, the American people do not want to see that money being used to support policies that violate human rights and treat the Palestinian people as second-class human beings,” Sanders said. “It is totally appropriate for the United States to say what that aid may and may not be used for.”
Senator Chris Murphy joined for a discussion on the importance of restoring the Iran nuclear deal and de-escalating the conflict sparked by President Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the seven-nation agreement. Member of Knesset and former Major General Yair Golan made the clear point that, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu's protestations, returning to the deal remains in Israel’s urgent strategic interests.
We also heard from some of the House of Representatives' top foreign policy lawmakers, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks of New York, and Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California.
Living Our Progressive Values
At Monday afternoon’s mainstage session on progressive values and building our movement, Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered a powerful articulation of the principles, goals and policies that drive our pro-Israel, pro-peace mission, firing up our virtual audience with her clarity and candor. “As we recognize the critical importance of the US-Israel relationship, it is critical also to recognize the moral imperative of Palestinian rights,” Warren said. “No Israeli child from Be'er Sheva should have to hide in a bomb shelter, and no Palestinian child from Hebron should be evicted from their home to make way for a settlement.”
“The Netanyahu government may have put aside formal annexation for now, but the continued growth of these settlements and the destruction of Palestinian homes amounts to de facto annexation,” Warren said. “If we're serious about arresting settlement expansion and helping move the parties toward a two-state solution, then it would be irresponsible not to consider all of the tools we have at our disposal. One of those is restricting military aid from being used in the occupied territories.”
Following a moving tribute to our united fight against systemic racism, attacks on immigrants and the rise of white nationalism, J Street U President Yoni Slater led an in-depth conversation between Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Jamie Raskin. Congressman Raskin urged our movement to be “maximally visionary and extremely pragmatic,” in our aims and strategy.
Congressman Bowman pushed for us to align our vision of foreign and domestic policy, centering human rights and the dignity of every person. Later, an expert panel of leaders and advocates examined the links between violent antisemitism and the rise in white supremacist attacks on other vulnerable communities -- and how we need to stand together to reject cynical, harmful attempts by the far-right to turn us against one another. These sentiments were echoed by an array of other speakers, including a powerful speech by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.
Jewish leaders from a whole spectrum of religious movements also joined J Street for an inspiring discussion on centering our Jewish values at the heart of pro-Israel advocacy. Guests included Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of Reconstructing Judaism. Rebecca Kirzner, Director of Campaigns at the Jewish refugee agency HIAS, joined leading advocates from Reconstructing Judaism, the St. Louis JCRC and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism to discuss the future of Jewish social justice activism in the Biden era.
Now, We Get To Work
The close of J Street’s largest-ever national conference also marks the start of our largest ever congressional advocacy campaign. This week, over 1,500 J Street supporters will be meeting directly with congressional offices to push for policies that support diplomacy, protect human rights and advance our vision for Israel as a truly just and democratic homeland for the Jewish people, living in peace and security alongside a Palestinian state.
To support their advocacy on Capitol Hill and to sustain our work to secure real, long-term change, J Street National Board Chair Alex Stanton and board members Charles Kremer and Peter Frey have offered to personally double any donation received over the next 29 days up to $50,000.
To take them up on their offer, make a matched donation of $25 or any other amount now >>
If you have ActBlue Express Lane, your donation will be matched and processed in one click.
As Alex said, “now is our moment to push for the bold, urgent, necessary steps we know need to be taken to protect our vision of a just and democratic future.”
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this truly special conference at a landmark moment for J Street and our movement. And special thanks to all our guests, sponsors, exhibitors and tireless staff for helping pull off a first-of-its-kind J Street event.
To those who are joining us for advocacy week, we’ll see you (virtually) on the Hill soon!
Yours,
Christine Beresenova
Director of Education and Public Engagement
