Comments on: Jeffrey Goldberg on J Street and the Blogger Panel

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:51:17 +0000

I raised it as a topic for discussion for the panel but I don’t recall that anyone took me up on it. We had 90 mins. w. 13 bloggers so it was tough to pursue any one subject in any sort of comprehensive way.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:38:28 +0000

What I find disturbing is Ben-Ami’s comment to Goldberg:
“…[leftist groups are upset with J Street] for refusing to embrace the Goldstone report and for standing up for the right of Israel to defend itself.”

Refusing to embrace the Goldstone report is not the same as standing up for the right of Israel to defend itself. Goldstone clearly stated in his report and in interviews like the recent one with Bill Moyers that Israel has every right to defend itself. This is a false juxtaposition that distorts the truth. I want J Street to stand for truth and justice, without resorting to the sort of lies we have been getting for AIPAC for years.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:22:14 +0000

Looked at it again — it’s not as bad as I thought the first time. Certainly he’s clear how he sees the question, though.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:12:33 +0000

The thing I found most dispiriting about the interview was the way Ben-Ami repeatedly dismissed the notion that American military aid to Israel might ever be even referenced as a lever in changing the Israeli government’s behavior at some point in the future not just as something to be avoided at all costs, but as an illegitimate thing for Americans to even consider as a possibility. As if sustained military aid to Israel at the present level is a perpetual fiduciary duty of the United States and not a discretionary commitment that we keep because of shared interest and a close alliance.

it’s not that I expect him to say aid should be on the table, but something about the way his language suggests he sees his position in this country with respect to that question really bugs me.

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:50:17 +0000

Good point. I don’t profess to know the history of Israel’s oppression of and crimes against the Palestinians like you do. I know there was widespread ethnic cleansing perpetrated against Palestinians from the founding of the state, and since. I’m just an American outraged at my country’s Middle East foreign policy and I know Israel is a very big piece of it. I feel helpless a lot of time (like I think a lot of Americans do).

The recent Gaza massacre is something to hold onto precisely because it was recent, and some images I’ve seen from it just sear in my mind. You can grasp onto it and it’s an effective illustration of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, as is the blockade.

By: orgo

orgo — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:37:01 +0000

Rachel: you note an audience member asked: “Whether the solution is BDS or not, one state or two-state, what’s the way to move?”

Did anyone comment on BDS?

By: Rachel Barenblat

Rachel Barenblat — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:09:25 +0000

Thanks again for orchestrating the blogger panel, which I really enjoyed. I did my best to post notes from that panel: [JStreet] Unofficial Israeli-Palestinian Blogger Lunch Session. Please feel free to circulate the URL among the panelists (I'm doing my best to do as well) and let folks know that I welcome corrections and amendations -- I'm sure I made mistakes and will happily fix them if people let me know what they are!

By: Stephen Frug

Stephen Frug — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:32:03 +0000

Jesus, when he finds out he’s been denied by the apostle Paul

It was Peter, not Paul, who denied Jesus thrice. And Jesus actually predicts it, so “finds out… he’s been” is a bit oddly phrased.