Friend,
It is clear that we’re at a critical juncture for the future of democracy in the United States, Israel and around the world.
With important political battles heating up in primary elections in the United States, Israel headed to its fifth election in three years, and President Biden just returning from his first presidential trip to the Middle East, J Street is fighting on all fronts to defend our democratic values, pursue peace and justice, and proudly represent the majority of our community.
With so much at stake, we can’t allow right-wing groups and demagogic leaders to shape our politics or define the future -- for Israelis and Palestinians, or here at home. We have to keep mobilizing behind our own proud vision for a better and safer world.
You can read all about that work in this month’s Street Talk newsletter below.
Thank you for being a part of this movement,
Logan Bayroff
Vice President of Communications
AROUND J STREET
J Street's Key Takeaways from President Biden's Middle East Trip
Last week, President Biden and his team returned from the first Middle East visit of his presidency. In anticipation of the trip, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that “President Biden's first official visit to Israel and the Middle East this month provides an opportunity for a vital reset of US policy…Ignoring the simmering tension, violence and injustice that dominate the Israeli and Palestinian reality will further the continuing deterioration of the status quo between the parties.”
Ultimately, Biden’s trip had significant positive moments, as well as missed opportunities. While in the region, the President reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state solution with borders based on the pre-1967 Green Line with land swaps -- rolling back the position taken by the Trump administration and returning the US to alignment with the rest of the world. J Street also welcomed his strong reaffirmation of the US-Israel relationship and a number of tangible announcements that came out of the trip -- including financial assistance to East Jerusalem hospitals and the UN relief agency that provides health and education services to Palestinians, as well as other incremental but positive steps to improve daily life for those living under occupation.
Still, J Street made clear that much more can and should have been done. American opposition to deepening occupation and de facto annexation needs to be loud, clear and effective, and the dire state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict demands bolder action and leadership. The critical regional normalization process with Arab states should continue -- but should also make sure to proactively include the Palestinians and promote the two-state solution, instead of sidelining them.
At J Street, we remain committed to pressing for the bold, transformative and responsible steps that we know are needed to secure Israel’s future, Palestinian rights and US interests -- and we won’t stop pushing for them.
Read all of our key takeaways from the trip here >>
Standing With Our Allies and Standing Up to Right-Wing Millions in Democratic Primaries
As AIPAC and their SuperPAC have dumped nearly $30 million into Democratic primaries this cycle to silence and defeat principled progressives -- all while also endorsing over 100 Republicans who voted to overturn our election on January 6, 2021 -- J Street has emerged as the most prominent voice challenging their harmful tactics. Via JStreetPAC and the J Street Action Fund, we’ve stood up for our friends and champions in the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement, and made clear that AIPAC and their allies do not speak for the majority of pro-Israel voters and American Jews.
We’ve stood with a broad coalition of partners to help endorsees like Illinois’ Delia Ramirez and Pennsylvania’s Summer Lee triumph over attacks from AIPAC and their ally Democratic Majority for Israel in key races -- ensuring that these talented, inspiring young leaders will be able to fight for our values in Congress. In other battles -- like in Maryland, where respected former Member of Congress Donna Edwards faced nearly $7 million in AIPAC spending -- we’ve experienced tough defeats. Yet through it all, we’re sounding the alarm about AIPAC’s deeply harmful channeling of millions of dollars from GOP megadonors into Democratic primaries.
As these groups unfairly smear mainstream Democrats as “anti-Israel” and spend millions to target them, it’s clear that they’re trying to limit the space for politicians to back strong diplomacy, support Palestinian rights, and criticize harmful policies that deepen occupation. As J Street told The New York Times, they are “driving a wedge between communities of color, especially progressives, and the Jewish community…turning Israel into a political football…AIPAC is trying to shut down the discussion.”
With so much on the line for the future of US foreign policy, the Democratic party, and the health of our democracy itself, we’ll keep battling to stand up to bullies and stand up for champions like progressive Jewish leader Rep. Andy Levin, who faces a deluge of AIPAC spending before his upcoming primary. This month, the Action Fund made a $700,000 investment in television ads in Levin's hotly-contested Michigan primary -- earning widespread recognition in outlets like The Washington Post, CNN, Politico and many more. Our ads make clear to voters that Levin's opponent relies on millions of dollars in support from a GOP-donor-funded group that endorses extremist Republicans.
Pushing Back on Forced Displacement and Demolitions in the West Bank
After a court decision earlier this summer gave the Israeli government the go-ahead for the displacement and demolition of several communities in the West Bank area of Masafer Yatta, over 1,000 Palestinians are at risk of being forced from their homes. The demolitions, which have already begun, threaten to become the largest act of mass displacement in decades.
Ahead of President Biden’s visit to the region, J Street and our allies sprang into action. Together with 14 other Jewish groups, including the Union for Reform Judaism, the Reconstructionist Movement, the National Council of Jewish Women and the entirety of the Progressive Israel Network, we wrote to the Biden administration urging them to push back strongly against this displacement. “This relocation of Palestinian families from homes they have lived in for generations could spark violence, is in direct violation of international humanitarian law, and could further undermine efforts to reach a two-state solution.” That effort built on a similar J Street-backed letter signed by 83 Members of Congress last month.
Masafer Yatta is located in “Area C” of the occupied West Bank -- under full Israeli control. The government has designated the area a military training zone -- calling it “Firing Zone 918” -- and is using this as a rationale to argue that the residents have no right to the land. In a new Issue Brief, Dr. Debra Shushan, J Street’s Director of Policy, reviewed the history and practice of establishing "firing zones" in occupied territory. Read the brief here >>
Diving deeper into the situation unfolding in Masafer Yatta, The Progressive Israel Network hosted a webinar to discuss what these evictions can tell us about the systemic realities of occupation, and what the international community should do about it. You can watch a recording of the webinar here >>
Our Israel: Meet the Israeli Organizations Working for Change
Incredible Israeli grassroots advocates and activists are fighting for a more just, equal and peaceful future for their country and for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. J Street is proud to highlight their critical work through our Our Israel profile series.
Nitzan Horowitz, the outgoing leader of the Meretz Party and an LGBT+ trailblazer, sat down with J Street in June in honor of pride month to talk about LGBT+ rights in Israel, his record, and the challenges ahead. As he prepares to step down as leader before the upcoming elections, his positive legacy for the LGBT+ community stands strong. "When I first entered politics 14 years ago, nobody would have imagined having a gay minister in the cabinet," Minister Horowitz told J Street.
Read the complete profile and interview with Nitzan Horowitz here >>
You're Invited! The 2022 J Street National Conference
The J Street National Conference is the year’s largest gathering of pro-peace, pro-Israel activists -- and one of the most important, talked-about annual events in the worlds of foreign policy and progressive politics.
The theme of the conference is “Living Our Values, Defending Democracy.” Taking place both in-person and virtually from December 3-5, 2022, it will bring together top lawmakers, activists, and experts to explore how we can best mobilize to take on and defeat the far-right at home and abroad. Reserve your tickets now >>
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