J Street Fails Its Fans
What explains J Street’s inability to garner their troops? First, and certainly foremost, is the fact that support for Israel in the American public and Congress remains high. Despite the paeans to J Street written by the New York Times or Mother Jones, most members of Congress apparently do not buy into J Street’s “pro-Israel” claim. Witness the many members who peeled off of the J Street conference’s host committee, or who simply didn’t show up at its dinner.
For all the hoopla, J Street is undefined. Except for its director, Jeremy Ben-Ami, its top leadership and decision-makers are anonymous. Who does Ben-Ami consult with before he decides on a controversial policy such as opposing sanctions against Iran? Only the occasional exposé reveals funding from unusual sources (Saudi-connected individuals, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) directors, Arab-American leaders) or the fact that J Street co-founder Mort Halperin, an aide to George Soros, ghostwrote Richard Goldstone’s defense of his report that he sent to congressional offices.
J Street remains mysterious. Who are its major funders? So far, only its political action committee contribution list is open to the public, and the names and backgrounds of some of the donors raise questions about the PAC’s motives. The fact that many have Arabic surnames is not the issue; their background of defaming Israel or defending Hamas or working for Saudi Arabia is.
Even after its conference J Street remains indefinable. Its student component wants to drop the “pro-Israel” claim. Some of its delegates argue for a one-state solution that would dissolve or destroy Israel. J Street claims to reflect positions of the Israeli Kadima party and Israel’s peace camp, but when Israelis such as former Kadima minister Meir Sheetrit or former general and leader of the peace camp Danny Rothschild discovered that J Street opposes sanctions against Iran, they distanced themselves from J Street.
Finally, J Street lacks direction. Jeremy Ben-Ami told the New York Times in September that J Street’s “No. 1 agenda item is to do whatever we can in Congress to act as the president’s blocking back.” But a blocker must know what play was called by the quarterback, Barack Obama. Coming into office, Obama and his aides may have had an ideological goal line in the Middle East that became J Street’s playbook. Indeed, there are reports of Obama’s aides being present at the formation of J Street, then called the “Soros Project.”
Once in office, however, Obama found the conditions on the field to be different from what he thought, and, the good politician that he is, he changed the plays. But in J Street’s case, it ran so far downfield on the issues of settlements, Hamas, Goldstone, and Iranian sanctions that it isn’t relevant to the game. Its ties to NIAC and to questionable funders may actually make it an “ineligible receiver downfield.” And the conclusion is that it is certainly not a “pro-Israel” team.
So what do the J Street blockers do in such a situation? Re-huddle and run the play called by the quarterback? Not if you listen to one of J Street’s staunchest fans, MJ Rosenberg, a radical defamer of Israel, who recently criticized quarterback Obama for lacking “the will to take the actions J Street wants to support.” The J Street players should bully the president, Rosenberg wrote: “After all, supporting Obama’s policies doesn’t mean anything if Obama’s policies are weak or inconsistent. Unfortunately, right now, Obama seems unwilling to push hard for his own policies.”
With such players and fans, it’s no wonder members of Congress and American Jews don’t want to play on the team. And at some point candidates and donors may conclude that there are better investments than J Street’s PAC, whose records are open and available to all on the internet for public scrutiny.
This article made me more confused about J Street. Maybe more background info is needed.
J Street’s a fraud that’s been exposed.
Ended up seriously tonfused, too.. In trying to mentally connect the dots, found only 113 references at all to “j street” + “soros project” during a (quick unscientific) search of the Net.. Sounds like something that could use a wee bit more airtime, yes, no, maybe so..?
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Good summary of the latest dope on a nefarious outfit.
J Street is another example of modern liberalism run completely off the rails. Imagine a Jewish organization allying itself with the mullah-apologists at NIAC. Holy Moly – that means they are supporters of radical Islam, misogyny, homophobia, etc. – all the most illiberal ideas in the world. Talk about upside down. What is going on in the mind of these people? I suppose to J-Streeters George Bush is worse than the Ayatollah Khomeini. Someone get these folks a psychiatrist fast.
this group needs to pack it’s bags, autopay all their private property to the castro brothers and move to madagascar and change the name to madaelectriccar.
“What is going on in the mind of these people?”
My guess is that the financial remuneration is fantastic. There may not be anyone significantly involved not getting a minimal six figure annual income. Arab anti-Semitic bigots are infamous for throwing around a lot of money. They are also lavishly praised and sucked-up to by “elites.”
I was recently in South Africa running Israel advocacy training workshops for the community there. They were very worried about Obama, and not just the crazy “he’s a secret Muslim” stuff. I tried to reassure them that he couldn’t be too bad (certainly not worse than Bush senior), since, despite any lack of enthusiasm on his part, he needs to relate to public opinion on Israel. The reality is the exact opposite of the Mearsheimer and Walt fantasy; American politicians don’t support Israel due to the machinations of some Jewish cabal, but due to the widespread support the Jewish state enjoys amongst the American public.
For more info on J Street check out this interview with Hadar Susskind, director of policy and strategy at J Street.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2009/11/j_street_and_the_jewish_divide.html
What a ridiculous piece of drivel! Every civilized country on the planet has accepted Goldstone’s report as unbiased (for the most part), with the exception of the US and Israel. And yet, most of the U.S. Congress refused to accept the possibility that perfect little Israel could have possibly… just possibly, done something wrong. I really have to wonder exactly which country our U.S. Senators represent. Actually, I don’t wonder anymore. I think they’ve made it very clear. (from one of the “American public” that does NOT blindly support Israel.)
@ 10 Dena: “Actually, I don’t wonder anymore.”
Whaaaaaaa …try wondering into a Library
Dena, you might get more respect by NOT referring to the U.S. and Israel as ‘uncivilized’ in the first place. That is a word much beloved by Euro elites and their lackeys, not to mention it’s untruthfulness.
we should take j street more seriously as a competiton to aipac…afterall 78% of jews are liberal and voted for obama.