Difference between revisions of "J Street"

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Eli Lieber had the following criticism of the group:
 
Eli Lieber had the following criticism of the group:
  
:In fact, J Street's policies are more extreme than even their radical Israeli counterparts. During the conflict with Hamas, which was endorsed by all Jewish political parties in the Knesset, J Street proclaimed that Israel's "escalation in Gaza would be counterproductive" and was "disproportionate." It also alluded to a moral equivalency between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating that it found difficulty in distinguishing "between who is right and who is wrong" and "picking a side."<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>
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:In fact, J Street's policies are more extreme than even their radical Israeli counterparts. During the conflict with Hamas, which was endorsed by all Jewish political parties in the Knesset, J Street proclaimed that Israel's "escalation in Gaza would be counterproductive" and was "disproportionate." It also alluded to a moral equivalency between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating that it found difficulty in distinguishing "between who is right and who is wrong" and "picking a side."<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>.
  
:J Street also "opposes the role of force by Israel or the United States" against Iran and even canvassed Congress to block a bipartisan resolution calling for tougher sanctions. It also urges the US and Israel to negotiate with Hamas. Despite President Barack Obama having done so, J Street chief Ben-Ami refused to endorse Israel as a "Jewish state" relating to it as a "Jewish democratic home in the State of Israel<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>
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:J Street also "opposes the role of force by Israel or the United States" against Iran and even canvassed Congress to block a bipartisan resolution calling for tougher sanctions. It also urges the US and Israel to negotiate with Hamas. Despite President Barack Obama having done so, J Street chief Ben-Ami refused to endorse Israel as a "Jewish state" relating to it as a "Jewish democratic home in the State of Israel<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>.
  
 
Lieber went on to say that:
 
Lieber went on to say that:
  
:No one seeks to deny Israeli bashers freedom of expression. But there is a need to make the public aware that J Street represents an insignificant group of uncommitted Jews. It must be exposed as hostile to Israel and marginalized from the Jewish community. If Americans understand this, J Street's ability to undermine Israel will largely be neutralized<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>
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:No one seeks to deny Israeli bashers freedom of expression. But there is a need to make the public aware that J Street represents an insignificant group of uncommitted Jews. It must be exposed as hostile to Israel and marginalized from the Jewish community. If Americans understand this, J Street's ability to undermine Israel will largely be neutralized<ref>Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, ''The Jerusalem Post'', 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009</ref>.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==

Revision as of 12:45, 17 December 2009

J Street describes itself as "the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement". Their foundation is based on the following principle:

J Street was founded to change the dynamics of American politics and policy on Israel and the Middle East. We believe the security and future of Israel as the democratic home of the Jewish people depend on rapidly achieving a two-state solution and regional comprehensive peace. Our mission is to promote meaningful American leadership to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and to broaden the debate on these issues nationally and in the Jewish community[1].

Criticism

The group had tried to model itself on being a "progressive alternative to AIPAC", however the group has been heavily criticised for not being pro-Israel. Michael Goldfarb wrote the following critique in the Weekly Standard:

What would you call a group that opposes sanctions on Iran, questions Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist groups firing rockets from Gaza, seeks to pressure Israel into making major concessions without regard to the views of the elected government in Jerusalem, and supports a U.N.-commissioned report accusing Israel of committing war crimes in the course of self-defense? That group is J Street, the new advocacy organization that calls itself "pro-Israel, pro-peace."[2].

Eli Lieber had the following criticism of the group:

In fact, J Street's policies are more extreme than even their radical Israeli counterparts. During the conflict with Hamas, which was endorsed by all Jewish political parties in the Knesset, J Street proclaimed that Israel's "escalation in Gaza would be counterproductive" and was "disproportionate." It also alluded to a moral equivalency between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating that it found difficulty in distinguishing "between who is right and who is wrong" and "picking a side."[3].
J Street also "opposes the role of force by Israel or the United States" against Iran and even canvassed Congress to block a bipartisan resolution calling for tougher sanctions. It also urges the US and Israel to negotiate with Hamas. Despite President Barack Obama having done so, J Street chief Ben-Ami refused to endorse Israel as a "Jewish state" relating to it as a "Jewish democratic home in the State of Israel[4].

Lieber went on to say that:

No one seeks to deny Israeli bashers freedom of expression. But there is a need to make the public aware that J Street represents an insignificant group of uncommitted Jews. It must be exposed as hostile to Israel and marginalized from the Jewish community. If Americans understand this, J Street's ability to undermine Israel will largely be neutralized[5].

Notes

  1. J Street, About Us, J Street, Accessed 17-December-2009
  2. Michael Goldfarb, When Pro-Israel Is Not Very Pro-Israel; Meet the J Street gang, The Weekly Standard, 9-November-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009
  3. Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, The Jerusalem Post, 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009
  4. Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, The Jerusalem Post, 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009
  5. Eli Lieber, Why make a fuss about J Street?, The Jerusalem Post, 22-October-2009, Accessed 17-December-2009