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J street dead in the water
Author
- Jstreet Jive
Date Created
- 11 Oct 2009
Date Edited
- 11 Oct 2009 10:55:14 AM
Rating
- Current rating: 3
License
This work is in the public domain.
As the linen and the dollars roll in in preparation for J Street's gala Washington conference and dinner at the end of October attended by no fewer than 160 members of Congress, a large ice cube has been dropped onto the tablecloth. Yesterday, U.S. Israeli Embassy spokesperson Yoni Peled said, referring to J Street:
"while recognizing the need for a free and open debate on these issues, it is important to stress concern over certain policies that could impair Israel's interests."
Since the founding of Israel sixty years ago, the Foreign Ministry has scrupulously avoided entering the dangerous waters of internecine American Jewish organizational feuding. As a result of J Street's staunch opposition to sanctions on Iran, among other issues, mirroring President Obama's positions, Ambassador Michael Oren's office decided to take the unprecedented step of rebuking a group that is clearly antithetical to the interests and security of Israel.
J Street spokesperson, Amy Spitalnick, in full damage control mode, replied:
"It's not a surprise that we disagree with certain Israeli government policies," J Street spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said. "Our bottom line is that we always support the State of Israel and its future as a democracy."
The Foreign Ministry's statement comes on the heels of what appears to be the non-appearance (and ultimate snub) by Ambassador Oren at the conference, to which he was invited. The invitation was more a a gauntlet thrown down by J Street. If Oren had accepted, his presence would no doubt have been exploited by the J Street PR machine as tacit approval of its radical agenda. Were he to decline, J Street would similarly use the occasion to reinforce their characterization of the Netanyahu government as "obstructionist" and "hawkish".
The embassy spokesperson's statement served to preempt J Street by providing the full weight of the Israeli government (which has recently endorsed the two-state solution) in identifying J Street as a dangerous, fringe group that, at its basis, endorses the borderline, antisemitic Walt/Mearsheimer thesis. (see JStreetJive's exclusive interview with Stephen Walt who has endorsed J Street).
Now, the foremost anti-Israel organization must find a fill-in for Israel itself. Watch for a surprise guest appearance by the marginalized Yossi Beilin or his lieutenant, Dan Levy.
Oren's move was brilliantly timed and courageous. If you listen carefully, you can hear the wind rushing out of Ben Ami's sail.
"while recognizing the need for a free and open debate on these issues, it is important to stress concern over certain policies that could impair Israel's interests."
Since the founding of Israel sixty years ago, the Foreign Ministry has scrupulously avoided entering the dangerous waters of internecine American Jewish organizational feuding. As a result of J Street's staunch opposition to sanctions on Iran, among other issues, mirroring President Obama's positions, Ambassador Michael Oren's office decided to take the unprecedented step of rebuking a group that is clearly antithetical to the interests and security of Israel.
J Street spokesperson, Amy Spitalnick, in full damage control mode, replied:
"It's not a surprise that we disagree with certain Israeli government policies," J Street spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said. "Our bottom line is that we always support the State of Israel and its future as a democracy."
The Foreign Ministry's statement comes on the heels of what appears to be the non-appearance (and ultimate snub) by Ambassador Oren at the conference, to which he was invited. The invitation was more a a gauntlet thrown down by J Street. If Oren had accepted, his presence would no doubt have been exploited by the J Street PR machine as tacit approval of its radical agenda. Were he to decline, J Street would similarly use the occasion to reinforce their characterization of the Netanyahu government as "obstructionist" and "hawkish".
The embassy spokesperson's statement served to preempt J Street by providing the full weight of the Israeli government (which has recently endorsed the two-state solution) in identifying J Street as a dangerous, fringe group that, at its basis, endorses the borderline, antisemitic Walt/Mearsheimer thesis. (see JStreetJive's exclusive interview with Stephen Walt who has endorsed J Street).
Now, the foremost anti-Israel organization must find a fill-in for Israel itself. Watch for a surprise guest appearance by the marginalized Yossi Beilin or his lieutenant, Dan Levy.
Oren's move was brilliantly timed and courageous. If you listen carefully, you can hear the wind rushing out of Ben Ami's sail.
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Comments
Support the President: open letter to J Street and all peace loving Americans
11 Oct 2009
30.09. 2009
www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000717.html
Original content copyright by the author
Dear J-Street,
President Barack Obama has laid it on the line at the UN regarding Iranian violations of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations. The Iranian nuclear program clearly constitutes a threat to world peace and to peace in the Middle East, and President Obama has rightly called on Iran to comply with the relevant Security Council Resolutions and to immediately (not according to a time table) open its clandestine Qom facility to IAEA inspections.
The President has taken a very brave stand on a matter that is vital for peace in the Middle East, for World Peace (we should always capitalize World Peace), for American interests and for Israel. Everyone who is pro-peace and pro-Israel should be standing with him. This is one issue where there is perfect commonality of interests between the United States, Israel, all other American allies in the Middle East and everyone who is really interested in peace.
The President needs our support. The United States is fighting a lonely and difficult battle against European apathy, Chinese cupidity, cynical, Machiavellian Russian geopolitical calculations and self-interested consultants and lobbyists like the American-Iranian Council.
For some reason, I have not gotten any e-mails from J Street urging me to support the President. Not a word! That's really odd, because just a few weeks ago, J Street was bombarding everyone in the Middle East with endless messages telling us "Support the President" "We've got your back Mr. Obama" - and praising Barack Obama's drive to engage Iran.
I didn't see any recent mention of the Iranian nuclear development issue at your Web site either. As I said, it is really strange.
Now that Barack Obama is really trying to do things to advance Middle East peace, J Street has fallen strangely silent. There are no more calls to support the President. No more messages impressing upon us the urgency of Middle East peace! Why are you silent? Let's hear it from J Street - "We've got your back, Mr. President."
You know, J Street, evidently you people are all rather busy, and I don't want to take up any more of your time, but something occurred to me. it's a funny thing. I checked your donor list. It seems you got a donation from the American Iranian Council. Of course, that couldn't possibly be the explanation for J Street's silence on this important issue, could it? I'm not implying anything here, just saying. If I were not a trusting person, I might get the wrong idea.
There must be a simple explanation for J Street's silence about Iranian nuclear weapons. Maybe J Street is just off for the holidays. As Jeremy Ben-Ami explained to the New York Times, J Street celebrates Buddhist Seders. Probably they are off observing Taleban Tashlich* and Shiite Sukkoth. I'm sure that must be the reason they are not out there cheering the President when he needs their support so badly.
So you know what, J Street, we are going to help you out. Everyone who gets this mail is hereby urged to contact the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania, Washington DC USA 20500 or at www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. Please tell President Obama, "Mr President, we've got your back on Iran. Please insist on full and immediate Iranian compliance with UN resolutions concerning their nuclear program. We've got your back on Israeli-Palestinian peace too, because Middle East peace is a vital American concern. We support your call for immediate and unconditional negotiations and an end to Palestinian incitement."
Please write to your Senators and congresspersons too. Ask them to condition US aid to the Palestinian Authority on an end to incitement and immediate resumption of negotiations. Palestinian educational TV programs are teaching children that Haifa is the largest port in Palestine - and they are funded by U.S. tax dollars. Palestinians need some tough love to make them do what is really in their best interests.
Oh yes - Please write to J Street (www.jstreet.org/about/contact, info-AT-jstreet.org) and ask them to join in these initiatives. As they are pro-Israel and pro-Peace, we are sure they will appreciate our help.
Ami Isseroff
* Tashlich - custom of throwing bread on the water observed at the Jewish new year. The bread is meant symbolically to carry one's sins. Taleban may throw things other than bread.
Original content is Copyright by the author 2009. Posted at ZioNation-Zionism and Israel Web Log, www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000717.html where your intelligent and constructive comments are welcome. Disributed by ZNN list. Subscribe by sending a message to ZNN-subscribe-AT-yahoogroups.com. Please forward by e-mail with this notice, cite this article and link to it. Other uses by permission only.