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Dear Friend, It’s been a tense start to 2020. Last week, President Trump brought us to the brink of all-out war with Iran through his reckless decision to escalate tensions with the assassination of a senior Iranian general. In response, Iran launched a volley of missiles at military bases in Iraq, threatening the lives of the American and Iraqi troops who serve there. This frightening exchange was the latest in a cycle of escalation that has followed the president’s unilateral decision to renege on the successful Iranian nuclear agreement in favor of a “maximum pressure” campaign. This disastrous policy has placed us on the verge of a catastrophic conflict that could lead to countless deaths, drain our nation’s strength and endanger Israel and our other allies in the region. The situation couldn’t be more serious. That’s why J Street is doing all that we can to help stop a war and rein in this out-of-control president. On Thursday, we scored an important success when the House passed a war powers resolution -- introduced by J Street endorsee Rep. Elissa Slotkin -- which made clear that President Trump does not have authorization from the House of Representatives to wage war with Iran and called on the administration to cease hostilities. In the lead-up to this crucial vote, our supporters flooded Congress with calls and partnered with progressive allies to support hundreds of rallies across the country calling for an end to escalation and a return to diplomacy. The fact that the House was able to pass this resolution shows the importance of all that we’ve done to help elect and support a diplomacy-first majority -- the same majority that voted last month to affirm support for a two-state solution and opposition to settlement expansion and annexation. It’s clear that our work in Congress, on the campaign trail and in our communities has helped to build a real xxxxxx against the president’s disastrous policies. In the weeks ahead, we’re going to continue to proudly represent the vast majority of American Jews who stand against a new war with Iran, stand against the occupation, and stand in favor of diplomacy, democracy and the pursuit of a more peaceful world. Thank you for joining us in this crucial fight. Logan Bayroff Communications Director |
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Around J Street |
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J Street rallies against war with Iran, backs congressional action |
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On Thursday, after the most serious and dangerous round of retaliatory attacks in the ongoing US-Iranian crisis, J Street joined with dozens of progressive allies across the country to send a clear message to our leaders: No War With Iran. At a rally of hundreds of people on Capitol Hill, J Street’s President Jeremy Ben-Ami made clear to the crowd that the American Jewish community opposes war with Iran, supports the Iran nuclear agreement and believes in diplomatic solutions to problems across the Middle East. Just a few hundred feet away, the House of Representatives took the historic step of passing a war powers resolution to make it explicit: President Trump does not have constitutional authorization to lead the United States into a catastrophic war of choice with Iran. This J Street-backed resolution only succeeded thanks to the strong, pro-diplomacy majority J Street supporters like you helped elect in 2018. Every J Street endorsee, including 13 who face reelection in Trump districts this year, supported this historic resolution. Now, as the Senate plans to hold its own war powers vote in the coming days, we’ll be calling on our supporters to contact the Senate and make sure they too say no to a catastrophic war of choice with Iran. |
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Our Israel: Meet the women’s network fighting back against gender segregation in Israel |
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J Street is proud this year to officially launch Our Israel, an initiative to spotlight amazing Israeli organizations and individuals who share our values and who struggle, as we do in the United States, to build and preserve a liberal, democratic society underpinned by the principles of equality, freedom, justice and peace. Over the past few months, we’ve spoken with inspiring, impactful groups including Hand in Hand, Gisha and Standing Together. In our latest profile, we spoke with Michal Gera Margaliot, Executive Director of the Israel Women’s Network about feminist advocacy in Israel. “When there is a wave, we want to take it and to make it bigger and to make sure that we'll have actual influence on reality, on policies,” Gera Margaliot told us. “We'll work with the decision makers, the Knesset, the government and within the courts to promote gender equality and make Israel a better place.” |
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Read the profiles → |
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Historic: House of Representatives goes on record against settlements, annexation |
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In December, the House of Representatives made history with the passage of a J Street-backed resolution which -- for the first time ever -- put the House on record as opposing unilateral Israeli annexation of the West Bank and affirming longstanding US opposition to settlements. It was a result which wouldn’t have been possible without J Street’s work in the halls of Congress, the pro-diplomacy majority our supporters helped elect in 2018 and the sustained advocacy of our grassroots supporters around the country. By passing House Resolution 326, lawmakers sent a powerful message that they stand against the destructive agenda of the far right here, and in Israel -- a message which remains timely today. This week, Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett pledged to boost the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank to one million within a decade. At the same event, US Secretary of State Pompeo appeared via a video message, reaffirming that the Trump administration no longer considered settlements a violation of international law. In response, J Street’s Vice President for Government Affairs Dylan Williams pointed to Congress’ strong push back on the administration and made clear that “While the Trump administration continues its outrageous effort to legitimize the settlement movement and green-light Israeli annexation of the West Bank, Israeli leaders must understand that the extreme ‘Pompeo Doctrine’ does not represent the views of Congress or the long-term positions of the United States.” |
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We need your vote: J Street joins slate for World Zionist Congress elections |
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J Street is thrilled to be joining 11 fellow progressive groups to field an amazing slate of candidates in the World Zionist Congress elections. Together, we will be running as ‘HATIVKAH: Progressive Israel Slate’ on a platform of social justice, democratic rights for all Israeli citizens and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is the first progressive partnership of its kind, and we need your support to make a powerful statement in this election. The results of these elections directly affect the distribution of $1,000,000,000 in annual funding which has a huge impact on the lives of Israelis of all religions and backgrounds, as well as Palestinians in the occupied territories. By coming together and giving voice to the progressive American Jewish community, we can and will help guide Israel toward our shared values and away from dangerous, far-right influences. |
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Learn more and pledge to vote →
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Israeli Elections |
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| Amid all the instability in the Middle East right now, Israel’s political leaders continue to campaign for the unprecedented third round of election, due to be held March 2. Prime Minister Netanyahu kicked off the 2020 campaign year with a formal request that the Knesset grant him immunity from his looming trial on corruption charges. Meanwhile, all eyes are watching to see whether Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party can finally, on the third try, knock Netanyahu off his perch. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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