Friend --
There’s something happening in our politics right now which is deeply encouraging -- and it’s in an area which I know you care about.
Not so long ago, there were issues regarded as off limits by American presidential campaigns. A candidate should never speak of Palestinian rights or statehood. No mention of the Israeli government’s occupation, let alone how you wanted to end it. To call out the prime minister of Israel for aligning themself with racists -- well, that would be unspeakable.
But I have always believed that if we don’t talk about issues, we cannot resolve them. That we must see things clearly, confront challenges directly and always speak plainly.
That’s why I’m asking you to make a contribution to J Street today, because I truly believe their work is as urgent, vital and impactful as it has ever been.
As someone who has been on the 2020 trail, I know the impact J Street is making right now in putting candidates on record and shaping how the field approaches critical questions of foreign policy.
But it was a deeply powerful trip to Israel and the West Bank with J Street much earlier that showed me the urgency of their work. It was during my three terms in Congress that I became convinced of their uniquely indispensable and clarifying role in Washington.
That’s because -- whether on the 2020 trail or in the halls of Congress -- J Street is one of the only groups interested in giving lawmakers a clear, no-B.S. picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s something I deeply appreciated.
Our J Street trip rightly focused on the very real security challenges facing Israel, the impact of terror attacks and the shared values which underpin the US-Israel relationship. But it also showed me the toll of the Israeli government’s occupation on Palestinians -- the intolerable situation in Gaza and the slow-motion violence of home demolitions, movement restrictions and creeping annexation in the West Bank.
Now, with Netanyahu threatening annexation and gearing up for another racist campaign -- and Trump as desperate, dangerous and unstable as he has ever been -- J Street’s work is more urgent than ever. Can you join me to back J Street now so they can fight the fight in 2020?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Friend, times have changed since elements core to this conflict were politically unspeakable. We now see candidates outlining with clarity and decisiveness the steps they would take to restore American leadership, to advance a renewed agenda which puts diplomacy first and to tackle this conflict head-on.
Next year, we share a common responsibility to ensure President Trump does not serve another term in office. To work toward a nation not defined by fears and division, but by our ambitions and our capacity to achieve them.
I continue to believe that we can turn this moment of great peril into a moment of great promise for America -- and for the world.
Yours,
Beto
