J Street Launch Tomorrow
I attended a private dinner here in Seattle last week at which J Street co-founders Jeremy Ben Ami and Daniel Levy spoke about tomorrow’s launch of the new Jewish peace lobby group. It will finance federal campaigns of candidates who support Israeli-Palestinian peace and it will promote a robust U.S. policy to advance this goal.
I’ll have a new piece in Comment is Free, New Kid on the Block, timed to coincide with the launch. It will provide more detail about the group’s goals and strategy. I’m hoping the times they are a-changein’ and AIPAC’s hegemony over the U.S. policy debate regarding Israel will eventually become a thing of the past. We need a debate about Israel policy, not a monologue; a choir and not singers singing in unison.
tags comment-is-free, daniel levy, j street, jeremy-ben-ami, legislative lobby, pac, political action committee
Mark Goldman said,
April 14, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Do you know what J Street’s URL is? I’d like to point some like-minded friends in their direction.
Richard Silverstein said,
April 14, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
It’s not yet working but as of tomorrow it will be jstreet.org
americangoy said,
April 14, 2008 @ 9:41 pm
I will now offend a lot of people with this comment - oh well.
I have always felt that the support of AIPAC is very tribal in nature, an “us vs them” kind of thing. The same sort of thing when black people in America defend one of their own from “the man”.
But sometimes, one of their own is a drug dealer (it comes out) and so that support STOPS.
Does no one in the American Jewish community see that AIPAC and their ilk are bad for Israel and its people - that it stands in the way of security, that it is for endless conflict, and does everything to keep it going?
Does no one see that AIPAC is, even though it is “one of us”, a bad guy in this narrative?
ellen said,
April 15, 2008 @ 4:24 am
That’s great Richard!
(Your piece and the launch).
ellen
Linda Koplovitz said,
April 15, 2008 @ 6:36 am
I think everyone wants peace but how can one negotiate peace when the Palestinian Leaders are not really in control of their ratical factions, which are the causes of the violence and terrorism.
Michal in Sderot said,
April 15, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
I would gladly contribute to helping J-street establish their offices in Sderot. They might get a different perspective of their “goals” for Israel.
Michal in Sderot
Richard Silverstein said,
April 15, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
That’s very cute & very snarky. But it would be odd for an American Jewish political action committee to set up shop in Israel since it’s trying to influence U.S. policy.
Interesting that Michal is trolling the web & publishing the same exact comment wherever she finds stories about J Street. Or is she a Giyus plant??
Marko said,
April 16, 2008 @ 1:10 am
The supporters list is hilarious. Not a single Arab-American or Palestinian.
Richard Silverstein said,
April 16, 2008 @ 1:23 am
I don’t think you understand the group’s mission. It isn’t to lobby within the Arab American community nor is it to impact the Palestinians. It is meant as an American Jewish lobby to impact U.S. policy toward the I-P conflict.
Richard Silverstein said,
April 16, 2008 @ 1:26 am
That’s placing sole blame on the Palestinians for the impasse which isn’t fair. The Israelis have a share of blame too.
Marko said,
April 16, 2008 @ 1:50 am
The organisation has gentiles (token?), but Arabs seem to be deliberately excluded. Isn’t apartheid dead?
J Street needs Arabs to put across their views. How could an organisation claim to promote peace, when nobody knows (perhaps they just assume) what the other side would accept as peace?
aj said,
April 16, 2008 @ 7:53 pm
Marko, you are right, these people would benefit greatly from hearing the Arab perspective. For example, they should listen to moderate Palestinians like this guy. [ed., link removed per comment rules]
But no, they are not interested in doing that, because that would require them to face reality.