Richard did you mean, “Such a panel shows that the left wing bloggers are open to the voices from JStreet?” I say this because JStreet did not permit the bloggers to be an official part of the conference.

“But the speech I most objected to …was delivered by Rep. Robert Wexler, who was Barack Obama’s court Jew during the election campaign.”

“Did no one at J Street brief him on his remarks?”

JStreet does not brief Wexler, Wexler’s staff briefs JStreet. As you write, Wexler is Obama’s house Jew. That status gives him the endorsement of JStreet with permission to go pro-Israel without the pro-peace, anytime, anywhere.

I am happy to hear this JStreet endorsee is leaving Congress. As Jeremy Ben-Ami personally told me, refusing to elaborate, “he is a special case.”

“Perhaps Neve Gordon and Naomi Klein will even be invited to enter the august halls of J Street next year.”

Richard, it is not going to happen. You are a dreamer. Your hope is truly audacious, here.

I enjoyed reading your take on the conference. I especially liked your reports on Eric (Not So) Yoffie, Wexler, and Haim (Grabs) Ramon.

The two and a half cheers you give to the JStreet conference: Is that out of a possible ten?

Keep up the good work!!!! I think that your report demonstrates a keen understand of the issues that other do not possess.

http://conference.jstreet.org/#

some 250 years

Oops, make that some 150 years.

it’s 60 years too late to say that we should work towards an integrated state. americans figured out in 1964 that integration was essential to stability. Israelis never got the message. now it’s not suddenly going to happen.

By the same token you could’ve said in the 1960s it was some 250 years too late for the US to work towards an integrated state, or half a century before that it was “too late” to consider universal suffrage, and so on.
And it’s not like 60+ years ago there was no one calling for an integrated Israel either, though you’re right that Israeli leaders either never got the message, or explicitly rejected it.
It may be that integration isn’t suddenly to happen now (certainly not by itself), but it’s never too early, much less too late, to start working for it. There are those who do so already, groups like Combatants for Peace, JVP, or Zochrot.

second, it’s 60 years too late to say that we should work towards an integrated state. americans figured out in 1964 that integration was essential to stability. Israelis never got the message. now it’s not suddenly going to happen.

ugly – but not smears. tragic – but we will persevere in spite of our own shortsightedness.