Dear Friend,
All of us who care deeply about the future of the State of Israel understand that the country is currently at a crossroads -- and in the midst of an historic national crisis.
The actions now being taken by the far-right Netanyahu government make its agenda clear to see: To ensure the coalition’s founding commitment to undemocratic control over all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, they are advancing plans to undermine the very legal and democratic foundations of the state, enshrined in Israel’s founding Declaration of Independence.
As the government plows ahead with its plan to destroy the independence of the Supreme Court, prominent Israelis who oppose the government’s agenda are making clear that they need us -- pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy American Jews -- to speak up and stand with them.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a recent discussion with J Street’s Jeremy Ben-Ami and top supporters, told us:
“I was never this worried as I am now for the future of the state of Israel… Now I come to you… particularly to J Street… You have to speak out everywhere you can, to every Member of Congress that you are friends with, every member in the administration and tell them that what the Israeli government is doing is going to break the basis for the bonds between the State of Israel and America. That it is going to break the basic values which hold us in common and have held us in common for generations.”
You can watch highlights from Olmert’s message to J Street here:
In another important message published in Haaretz, two experts on Israeli security and foreign policy wrote:
“Israelis understand exactly what is at stake for our country -- and we are saying so loudly and clearly. Now, we need our true friends in the United States and around the world to join us -- exactly as J Street has… J Street has not only earned its role as representative of the center and center-left of American Jewry, it now has to struggle alongside its Israeli liberal and progressive counterparts against the attack on the democratic foundations of the Jewish state.”
In their piece, former deputy director of Israel’s national security council Eran Etzion and former Ambassador to France Danny Shek make clear that J Street is playing an absolutely critical role in the struggle for Israel’s future:
“J Street ensures that U.S. elected officials receive a nuanced and honest picture of Israel's reality from its security establishment, opposition leaders and civil society -- not just from the government and its cheerleaders. They make clear that while we Israelis need American help to defend ourselves against rockets, terror attacks and other security threats, we also need help to end the cycle of endless conflict, and to achieve peace. They make clear that now, more than ever, we need help to preserve and defend our democracy.”
While right-wing groups continue to try to silence the large majority of our community, we know that we must listen to allies like Olmert, Etzion and Shek -- and continue to speak out for our shared values and Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people.
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Thank you,
Adina Vogel Ayalon, Chief of Staff
