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Dear Friend, November was a turbulent month for both Israeli politics and US foreign policy -- capped off by yet another dangerous move by the Trump administration aimed at bolstering Netanyahu and the far-right settlement movement. In a radical departure from long-standing, bipartisan US policy, the administration announced it would no longer consider West Bank settlements illegal under international law. J Street was one of the first national organizations to strongly condemn this destructive decision and to call it out for what it was: A partisan political gift to Netanyahu, a blow to American credibility that would be viewed as a green light for Israeli annexation of the West Bank. In the days following the decision, we were joined by a wave of presidential candidates and lawmakers speaking out. By Friday, 106 members of Congress had signed a letter condemning the decision, organized by Rep. Andy Levin and supported by J Street. It sent a powerful message that lawmakers are determined to push back against settlements and annexation. The administration’s decision came just days after a major escalation between Israel and the forces of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, in which hundreds of rockets were fired at Israeli communities and over a dozen Palestinian civilians were killed in Israeli airstrikes. It came just days before Blue and White leader Benny Gantz failed to form a government -- setting Israel on course for a third round of elections in just 12 months -- and days before Prime Minister Netanyahu was formally indicted on multiple counts of corruption. As we head toward the end of 2019 and the beginning of a pivotal election year, we continue to face the challenges of this turbulent moment head-on -- and to battle in defense of our community’s values. Friend, can you take a moment to chip in to support J Street as we fight to defeat the Trump-Netanyahu agenda and lay the groundwork for a new era of principled, diplomacy-first American leadership? Your donation to our mission will count now more than ever, with all donations MATCHED from now until the end of Giving Tuesday on December 3 >> Logan Bayroff Communications Director |
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Around J Street |
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Over 100 Members of Congress Rebuke Trump Settlement Decision |
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In a powerful rejection of the Trump administration’s attempt to legitimize Israeli settlements in the West Bank last week, over 106 members of Congress signed a J Street-backed letter penned by Representative Andy Levin expressing “strong disagreement” with the decision. The letter warns that the move “has severely damaged prospects for peace” and “blatantly disregards Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention” regarding the rules governing the actions of an occupying power. “It’s extremely important that leading members of Congress are making clear that this decision undermines human rights, jeopardizes both US and Israeli interests and flouts international law,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement. The letter received significant media attention in both Israel and in the United States, with coverage from outlets including Politico, Fox News, The Hill, Times of Israel and Haaretz. |
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Israel Facing Prospect of Third Election in 12 Months |
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With both Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu failing to successfully form a government before their mandates expired, Israel’s long-running and increasingly dramatic political crisis continues. The country has now entered uncharted waters in Israeli election law, with the Knesset currently in the midst of a three-week period in which any member -- including Gantz and Netanyahu -- can attempt to build a parliamentary majority. Most expect that this period will end in a continued deadlock -- and trigger a third round of elections in just 12 months. On top of that, Israel’s attorney general last week charged Prime Minister Netanyahu with multiple counts of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. In the court of public opinion, Netanyahu is fighting the charges in a distinctly Trumpian manner, decrying them as an “attempted coup” and calling for the investigators to be investigated. Rivals within Likud have sensed weakness, however, with fellow Likud MK Gideon Saar openly calling for an immediate leadership primary. J Street has been closely following and keeping our supporters up to date on all these developments. Watch our online briefing with veteran Israeli political journalist Tal Schnider here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Our Israel: “Standing Together” and the Politics of Shared Interests |
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J Street is proud to stand with Israeli organizations and individuals who do amazing work to help create a better future for all of Israel’s citizens and their Palestinian neighbors. As part of Our Israel, a series of profiles highlighting the incredible work of these partners, we sat down with Alon-Lee Green, co-founder of Standing Together. Born out of Israel’s 2011 cost-of-living protests, Standing Together has become a nation-wide grassroots advocacy organization focused on connecting the struggles of all Israelis to fight for social justice and economic opportunity. “The government is pitting marginalized communities and groups against each other, they let us fight against each other rather than looking to those in power,” Green told us. “We are working quite strongly to be as broad, as diverse, as open as possible.” Standing Together co-founder Dr. Nisreen Shehada will be joining J Street’s Israel Director Yael Patir and Executive Director of Israel's Women's Network Michal Gera Margaliot for a progressive advocate speaking tour next week with stops in Seattle, WA on Monday, Northampton, MA on Wednesday and Wilmington, DE on Thursday. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Read and share the full story here → |
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Jews Against White Nationalism: Stephen Miller Must Resign |
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In November, the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed a cache of leaked emails from senior White House advisor Stephen Miller which exposed his concerted efforts to advance a white nationalist agenda through far-right outlet Breitbart News. Miller’s advocacy for hardline anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies has long linked him to the white nationalist movement, ties which were confirmed by the incredibly disturbing leaks. J Street has long called for Miller to leave the administration. We were proud to stand with seven other American Jewish organizations leading a new push for Miller to resign and challenging the White House’s absurd attempts to paint his critics as anti-Semitic. “As American Jews, we are outraged that this administration would use the rising antisemitism for which it is responsible to deflect away from its embrace of white nationalists like Miller,” our joint petition reads. “American Jews will not be spoken for. We speak for ourselves, and our demand is clear: Stephen Miller must resign.” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sign the petition here → |
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