Friend --
President Biden entered office with a clear and important commitment to promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace and human rights around the world.
He came into office promising not just that he would be a friend of Israel, but of the Palestinian people as well -- making clear that his administration would promote the principle that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve “equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity.”
Yet, as he prepares for his first presidential visit to Israel next month, the situation on the ground for both peoples has continued to worsen. The conflict and occupation have only deepened.
Last week, Israel’s Supreme Court greenlighted the government’s bid to displace more than 1,000 Palestinians from Masafer Yatta in the West Bank’s South Hebron Hills. The territory has been seized by the government as a “firing zone” -- a pretext that Israel has often used to take control of more Palestinian land in the occupied territory. Today, Israeli forces began the demolition of several Palestinian homes and structures in the area.
At the same time, the government announced that it will approve the construction of some 4,000 new housing units for settlers in the West Bank. Together, these steps help deepen the occupation and make it much more difficult to peacefully resolve the conflict and secure Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people.
There’s a clear pattern here. While the Biden Administration continues to call for a two-state solution and to oppose settlement expansion, the Israeli government’s pro-settlement policies undermine the US-Israel relationship and the shared values on which it’s based. Like many previous administrations, their good intentions have not yet been backed up by effective action. Specific commitments made during the presidential campaign have not been kept; promises have gone unfulfilled.
We can’t accept that. There’s too much at stake for both peoples. That’s why at J Street, we’re pushing President Biden and Congress to help break the cycle of injustice and conflict. To truly push back against settlement expansion and occupation, and lead the way toward a better future.
Will you chip in today to help us make clear to Washington that “business as usual” is failing Israelis and Palestinians?
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In our work, we’re showing our leaders that there is a clear, principled path to supporting both Israel’s security and Palestinian rights. We’re demonstrating that you can’t pursue true peace without confronting the reality of occupation.
Groups like AIPAC are working overtime and spending many millions to hide that reality. They’re pressuring our politicians to stay silent, to keep their heads down, to simply accept settlement expansion and give up on the two-state solution.
We can’t let these right-wing groups win. We can’t let them silence the pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who see Israelis living in fear of escalating terror attacks, and Palestinians fearing displacement from their homes, while the settlement movement only grows stronger and our own government fails to respond.
As Israel’s strongest ally and a global superpower, the US can and must do far more to show that we won’t stand for endless occupation and conflict and to ensure that the US-Israel relationship is living up to the shared democratic values on which it was founded.
It’s good news that President Biden is planning to visit the region and give the Israeli-Palestinian situation some of the critical attention it deserves. As he prepares for his visit, we’re pressing his administration to look reality in the eye and make clear the consequences of far-right, pro-settlement policies that harm both peoples and move us further away from a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. We’re calling for political and moral courage that will both enhance Israel’s security and guarantee Palestinian rights and safety.
We don’t have right-wing mega-donors supporting this mission -- we have you. Any amount you’re able to contribute today will help us transform the politics of this issue and fight for a better future >>
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Friend, thank you, sincerely, for your ongoing support.
Yours,
Kevin Rachlin
Vice President of Public Affairs, J Street
PS. We use ActBlue as our primary payment processor, but if you’d prefer to make a donation through the J Street website, you can find our donation page here.
