June 3, 2011
Rhonda —
A few quick notes before heading into the weekend:
Daniel Gordis’ attack on J Street last week in the Jerusalem Post got a great deal of attention. I’ve responded this week with a Post op-ed entitled “Saving the Tent.” In it, I argue that opponents of ours who devote their energy to developing and applying litmus tests to determine who’s in or out of the pro-Israel tent are losing sight of the larger challenge – securing the future of a Jewish and democratic Israel. Here’s the link – please considering liking the piece on our Facebook page and sharing with your friends.
The media and the Jewish community has been in a frenzy since President Obama’s speech on Israel, wondering what the impact will be on the President’s political fortunes. This is a classic example of what Aaron David Miller, Woodrow Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar, calls a communal “oy vey” moment. The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent explodes the myth that the speech has had an impact on donations to the President.
In Jewish communal politics, the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council voted 57-9 last week against an effort to kick J Street’s Boston Local off the Council. Leonard Fein has a wonderful piece in the Forward about this that you might enjoy sharing as well called “Treating J Street with a Little Respect.”
And, speaking of links you may want to share, last Sunday, Tom Friedman had a terrific appearance on Fareed Zakaria’s weekend show on CNN – arguing strongly that the real threat to Israel is the lack of an end to the occupation and that all the applause in Congress means nothing for addressing the real challenges Netanyahu should be facing up to.
I’ve mentioned before that Israel is waking up to the importance of the moment. In further news on that front, tomorrow in Tel Aviv, Israelis associated with various political parties and peace organizations will be gathering in the largest show of support for peace and Palestinian statehood in years. We’ll have an update for you on Sunday – including a great giveaway that you won’t want to miss!
Finally, a heads-up. J Street is launching our “Two-State Summer” campaign this coming week. It’s our effort to demonstrate support for the President’s vision for the Middle East. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be asking you to sign up, get engaged, and take action! Preview our special two-state summer resource page here.
Have a great weekend. Shabbat shalom,
– Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street
June 3, 2011