What J Street Means When It Says ‘Pro-Israel’
There are certain terms whose meanings are — or seem like they ought to be — obvious. The term “pro-Israel” is one of them. One presumes that it simply means having positive sentiments toward the state of Israel and sympathy for its political or military position. In our strange day and age, however, this is no longer the case. Even the simplest terms have become hopelessly foggy.
Indeed, there is now something of a quiet but impassioned debate within the American Jewish community over what it means to be “pro-Israel.” This dispute has gone public with the emergence of the left-wing lobby J Street. Advertising itself as both “pro-Israel” and “pro-peace,” J Street both implicitly and explicitly attacks its rivals — especially the much older and more influential lobbying group AIPAC — as being neither. Critics of J Street attack the group as itself neither pro-Israel nor pro-peace, but rather pro-Palestinian or pro-Arab.
The primary reason for this divide is that both sides have entirely different definitions of what it means to be pro-Israel, especially in the context of being a political lobbying group. J Street, officially at least, believes that it is pro-Israel because it believes in Israel’s right to exist. Beyond that, it seems J Street’s primary concern is being pro-peace, which means advocating policies it believes will advance the peace process, whether or not they are amenable to the Israeli government or the Israeli people. Of course, this can also be seen as being pro-Israel, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way: If peace is good for Israel, as everyone assumes it would be, then advancing the cause of peace, whether the Israelis themselves like it or not, is “pro-Israel.”
AIPAC, on the other hand, takes a much clearer but also much more pragmatic approach to the question. To them, being pro-Israel is lobbying on behalf of Israeli government policy, whatever it might be. Ostensibly, at least, AIPAC takes no ideological position vis-à-vis the Middle East conflict. Whatever the duly elected Israeli government decides to do about it, AIPAC will support. It is true that AIPAC has not always hewed to this principle as perfectly as it ought to, which led to a somewhat notorious confrontation with the government of Yitzhak Rabin in the early ‘90s; but, for the most part, it has done so.
J Street and supporters have often explained the need for a left-wing pro-Israel lobbying group by claiming that AIPAC is essentially a right-wing lobby, out of step with American Jewish opinion. Whether American Jewish opinion is actually on the left in Israeli terms or not (the numbers indicate that it is more to the center of the Israeli political spectrum), it is clear that this particular line of attack is simply untrue. For example, AIPAC supported Ariel Sharon’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, which was anathema on the Israeli right. What is true is that for most of the last quarter century, Israel has tended to elect center-right governments that enact center-right policies; leading AIPAC and the rest of what J Street calls “the pro-Israel establishment” to support those policies.
It seems, then, that J Street’s real problem with the “pro-Israel establishment” is not that it takes a right-wing position on Israel, but that it takes no position. AIPAC and similar organizations are, apart from the most basic Zionist sentiments, non-ideological organizations. J Street is different not because it is left-wing, but because it is explicitly partisan. That is to say, it takes sides not only in terms of the Middle East conflict but in terms of Israeli domestic politics as well.
This somewhat imperialist point of view is an ironic one, given the lobby’s left-wing sentiments, but what makes it truly problematic is its incomprehensibility. Put simply, J Street’s version of pro-Israel can essentially mean anything at all. Under the J Street definition, someone who believes that everyone in Israel would be better off if the country were dissolved in favor of a binational state could quite easily call themselves pro-Israel while at the same time advocating what amounts to Israel’s destruction. Indeed, practically anything short of outright genocide could be called pro-Israel under such a definition.
Such fuzzy thinking does lend itself to a certain freedom of action that is often appealing to people of an idealistic bent, but it is massively impractical in political reality. No Israeli government, for example, can possibly consider a political lobby to be a supporter or an ally if it does things like oppose an American veto of anti-Israel resolutions at the UN, as J Street very recently did. Nor can the Israeli people be expected to look upon a group that seeks to impose on them a policy they rejected at the ballot box as anything like a friend. At best, they can only see such a group as an irritating and bizarre anomaly — at worst, as an outright enemy.
What is most disappointing about all of this, however, is that Israel could probably use a pro-Israel lobbying group on the left. Nor is there any real reason for such a group to be problematic or hostile. The right of peoples to self-determination and sovereignty is a principle that has been historically embraced by the left, as is the right of small nations (especially if they are democratic) to defend themselves. A group that made the case for Israel from the left would be a welcome one, but it would have to do so in a manner that does not involve so diluting the idea of supporting Israel that it becomes nearly meaningless.
This, unfortunately, would be a very difficult thing to do. Such a group would not only have to struggle with its position vis-à-vis right-wing Israeli governments, but also vis-à-vis its compatriots on the left, who are becoming increasingly and often disturbingly hostile to Israel and to Zionism in general. It would, in short, be a group that would have to dissent at times not only from Israeli policy but also from the position of the left-wing establishment. It would have to be intellectually and politically capable of making the case that it is not Zionism that is abandoning the left, but the left that is abandoning Zionism. This would require a type of courage that is far more demanding that taking easy pot shots at the “pro-Israel establishment” — a type of courage that J Street, unfortunately, apparently neither has nor wants.
The position of “J Street” makes as much sense as “Chickens for Col. Sanders.”
Dr. Shalit
J Street is just the Progressives attempt at Taqiya with regard to Israel and its Jews.
I believe that J Street is a George Soros organization, anti-Israel as he is.
J Street is financed by anti Israel Georg Soros and some Arab Americans (no friends of Israel) Jeremy Ben Ami it’s President worked as Vice President for Fenton Communications that conducted the anti Israel campaign in US Campuses during the “Cast Lead” operation to fight off rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages. with Qatar money. Among contributors to JU Street is an Iranian fund.
J Street finances only members of Congress that vote against Israel. It is a tool of the Obama administration to split the Jewish community and erode it’s support for Israel on key issues . It is a TROJAN HORSE.
This tells it all!
“Peace” is a red herring. Everybody is “pro-peace”. The only question that matters is on what terms? When a group calls itself “pro peace” that is all the evidence you need that they’re dishonest.
The problem really is definitional; once you understand what J Street means when it refers to Israel, it’s positions are rational and comprehensible.
By “Israel” J Street means an imaginary Israel, sort of a platonic essence of Israel, one that has no insoluble conflicts with its neighbors, enacts only progressive legislation, and most importantly never does anything to upset or anger the Palestinians, who are a leftist approved victim group and hence never in the wrong. Most importantly, this imaginary Israel is one whose support never calls into question the leftist and progressive bona fides of J Streeters.
In that sense J Street is pro-Israel, even ardently so.
But if you mean by “pro-Israel” actually supportive of the country that really exists at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea,then it’s hard to see how it is. I have yet to see any statement from J Street that could be reasonably construed as either an unqualified (not necessarily uncritical) support of Israel or an unqualified condemnation of its enemies.
As you say, a group that worked to promote support for Israel within the left could do valuable work. I see no reason to think that J Street even considers such activity.
By “Israel” J Street means an imaginary Israel, sort of a platonic essence of Israel, one that has no insoluble conflicts with its neighbors, enacts only progressive legislation, and most importantly never does anything to upset or anger the Palestinians, who are a leftist approved victim group and hence never in the wrong. Most importantly, this imaginary Israel is one whose support never calls into question the leftist and progressive bona fides of J Streeters.
This. Typical purist leftist self-indulgence, while real people live real lives where they have to get their hands dirty.
By “Israel” J Street means an imaginary Israel, sort of a platonic essence of Israel, one that has no insoluble conflicts with its neighbors, enacts only progressive legislation, and most importantly never does anything to upset or anger the Palestinians, who are a leftist approved victim group and hence never in the wrong. Most importantly, this imaginary Israel is one whose support never calls into question the leftist and progressive bona fides of J Streeters.
This. Typical purist leftist self-indulgence, while real people live real lives where they have to get their hands dirty.
as the posters above have stated J street is actively anti ISRAEL- funded by it’s arch enemies.
As many lefty Jews in USA they think actively supporting a fcitional “palestinina” people and givng them moreof Isareli land will fix everything.
Of course this is all in direct opposition tothe reality.
Jordan is their stae taken from ISRAEL land, then GAZA- what did that accomplish for ISrael? threats war death
J streeters are like the German JEWS pre ww2 who thought being assimilated and being pro Germana nd anti communist would buy them a future free of jewhate.
We all know how great that worked for them.
Liberal “peace” Jews are dupes and dopes- they organize the flotilla, they parrot the Pali agit prop, theymake films glorifying Jihadists.
For me they are partof the problem not a solution.
Terrorism and murdering children and babies inthe night should never be rewarded with land, a land that will be used to launch rockets into Israeli cities.
These are the lowest form of human, and anti JEWS, traitors.
They will never be satified b/c their masters the Fakestinians will never quit demanding (insert whine of the month here) MORE and more.
Peace by tehir mthod would require Isarelis to lay dopwn in the street for rocket attacks, so death can be “proportionate.
Sadly and pathetically they think they are being “humanitarian” to shill for PLO Fatah Al aqsa. I can understand Muslims who hate JEws- it’s what they learn from the cradle, full and intensive indoctrinations, but I can NEVER understand nor forgive these traitor JEWs.
Just yesterday, Jstreet’s David Levy, said- Israelis should just pick up and leave!!! Yes he say Israel is not a good ISDEA- we big news schmuck- it’s a real country for 60 years not an abstarct idea like a peaceful stqte next door- THAT”s less than an idea it’s a fantasy, a chimera
A solution worthy of Helen Thomas and other jewhaters. No thanks .
and a hearty *^^^%$- with friends like this…………….
http://wejew.com/media/10858/J-Street_Founder_Says_Maybe_Israel_Is_Not_A_Good_Idea/
sorry for all the typos- re-edited
As the posters above have stated J street is actively anti ISRAEL- funded by its arch enemies.
As many lefty Jews in USA they think actively supporting a fcitional “palestinina” people and giving them more of Israeli land will fix everything.
Of course this is all in direct opposition to the reality.
Jordan is their state taken from ISRAEL land, then GAZA- what did that accomplish for Israel? Threats, war, death.
J streeters are like the German JEWS pre ww2 who thought being assimilated and being pro German and anti communist would buy them a future free of jewhate.
We all know how well that worked for them.
Liberal “peace” Jews are dupes and dopes- they organized the flotilla, they parrot the Pali agit-prop, they make films glorifying Jihadists.
To me they are part of the problem, not a solution.
Terrorism and murdering children and babies in the night should never be rewarded with land, a land that will be used to launch rockets into Israeli cities.
These are the lowest form of human, and anti JEWS, traitors.
They will never be satified b/c their masters the Fakestinians will never quit demanding (insert whine of the month here) MORE and more.
Peace by their method would require Israelis to lay down in the street for rocket attacks, so death can be “proportionate”.
Sadly and pathetically they think they are being “humanitarian” to shill for PLO Fatah Al Aqsa and Hamas. I can understand Muslims who hate Jews- it’s what they learn from the cradle, having undergone full and intensive indoctrinations, but I can NEVER understand nor forgive these traitor JEWs.
Just yesterday, J Street’s David Levy, said- Israelis should just pick up and leave!!! Yes he says Israel is not a good IDEA!!!!- big news Jewish Jewhater- it’s been a real country for 60 years not an abstract idea like a peaceful state next door- THAT”s less than an idea it’s a fantasy, a chimera. It seems these “jews” JINOS thnk ethnic cleansing GAZA was fine and now they think the rest should leave their HOME LAND?
A solution worthy of Helen Thomas and other jewhaters. No thanks.
and a hearty (insert cusswords here) with friends like this…………….
http://wejew.com/media/10858/J-Street_Founder_Says_Maybe_Israel_Is_Not_A_Good_Idea/
Isahaih, please stop posting incomprehensible rants. If you have something substantial to say, feel free to do so. If you just want to vomit out your anger, please do it elsewhere.
ah Benjie still mad at me from a previous article of his I blasted– sore loser benjie boy.
don’t like my posts?? you have the block power sir- you already usedit once- just shutoff anyone who disagrees or does not properly kiss your cheeks.
what no ad hominems on my nickname? no spelling police?
fair is fair I won’t make fun of your mental illness and inability to let go of a grudge either.
I thought my post agreed with your rant about Jstreet, just added a little 2 cents.
care to point out anything incomprehensible in my post? I will be glad to SPLAIN IT TO YOU RICKY! Others here seem to “get it” quite easily some even liked it! (thanks honeyb)
excellent essay isahaih
J street in my opinion is pro-Israel because it doesn’t want to see Jews ruling as a minority over non-Jews who hate them. Which is what everyone opposed to creating a new Palestinian state in West Bank, Gaza and Arab Jerusalem wants. In my opinion those who oppose two-state solution are the real anti-zionists.
The real anti-Zionists are the antisemites who equate Israel with Nazi Germany, like “markus”. Noted that you don’t seem too upset by the Pali savages who slit the throat of a Jewish infant. That’s who you want to turn the West Bank over to.
1. The 2 State solutions is the official policy of the actual Israeli government as it has been that of the former one. So J Street is in fact only against the Ihud Leumi, a 3 seats party in the opposition ?
2. By the way, Jews make the majority of the population is all Israel, Gaza included, and even more Gaza excluded and that will stay that way for the next century at least – Arab natality is dropping fast, emigration is high, and Jewish natality is strong and rising.
benj, are you willing to give the arabs of gaza, “judea” and “samaria” the same political right that Arabs in the rest of Israel have?
I thank the non Jewish people who support the Jewish people. The support of non-Jewish people who support the Jewish people is a support for me.
Almost all Jewish people are experiencing, to varying degrees, and, for at least approximately two thousand years, almost all Jewish people have experienced, to varying degrees, a deep profound form of Stockholm Syndrome – a detrimental delusional unwholesome state of mind – which is constituted by the following factors.
O deep profound, pathological, fear of being hated by non-Jewish people
O egocentrism (in which one thinks “I am so moral”)
O empathy for others (which, in experiencing this is detrimental delusional unwholesome state of mind, is wrongly directed – is felt toward non-Jewish people who are bigotedly holding malicious wrong views about, and who are feeling malice and hate toward, and who are attacking, Jewish people – and, which, in experiencing this detrimental delusional unwholesome state of mind, is not felt toward Jewish people who are being attacked by non-Jewish people who are bigotedly holding malicious wrong views about, and who are feeling malice and hate toward Jewish people)
—-
The root factors that are causing the West to be, with lies, vilifying the country of the Jewish people, and to be colluding with the Islamic supremacist political movement are the following.
O The antipathetic bigoted anti-Jewish prejudice that is a normal, deeply engrained, part of Western (culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian)) culture
O The Stockholm Syndrome that almost all Jewish people are experiencing to varying degrees
—-
The following are two comments that I posted on the excellent blog Daphne Anson (http://daphneanson.blogspot.com). The following comments that I posted on the blog Daphne Anson are comments that I posted on a post (called “Delegitimising Israel by Delegitimising Scripture” (http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2011/03/delegitimising-israel-by-delegitimising.html)) about the activities of the members of the BBC. I, here, have slightly modified (I, here, have corrected) the first comment. I posted the second comment recently, and, at the time of my writing this comment, the second comment has not, been posted by the author of the blog.
—-Beggining of First Comment—-
The racism involved in this activity by these culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people is obscene and vile.
Who the hell cares about what is said in the texts of the traditional religion of the Jewish people?
The point is that Israel is the country of the Jewish people.
Just like Japan is the country of the Japanese people. And just like Italy is the country of the Italian people. And just like Thailand is the country of the Thai people. And just like Ireland is the country of the Irish people. And, for two thousand years, the Jewish people have been homeless and persecuted – persecuted BY CHRISTIAN EUROPEANS, and by Muslim Middle-Easterners – both of whom are peoples who utterly usurped the traditional religion, and cultural narrative, and even the cultural identity, of the Jewish people.
What the hell is wrong with these evil, imbecilic, self-worshipping, obscenely, perversely, dishonest, malicious culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people among whom the Jewish people have been born in this world?
Israel exists. Israel is a nation. Who the hell do these vicious, imbecilic, sanctimoniously genocidal, racist culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people think they are?
The time is over for Jewish people to be acting, immorally, like timid, cowering, traitorously appeasing, slaves.
Jewish people had better start to act like normal human beings, and, therein, by speaking the truth, charge the obscene, lying, Western and Muslim attackers of the Jewish people, or the Muslim world and the Western world will, again, commit genocide against the Jewish people, and the world will be thrown into an age of darkness and evil.
– Daniel Bielak
http://danielbielak.blogspot.com
—-Beginning of Second Comment—-
Thank you, Daphne.
Thank you for your appreciation, and thank you for your understanding, and thank you for adding my blog to your blogroll.
What you wrote about the BBC is exactly right.
I just want to clarify about the following that I wrote:
I wrote:
“…Who the hell cares about what is said in the texts of the traditional religion of the Jewish people?…”
I meant that which I wrote as it would be expressed by writing that sentence with a period, instead of by writing it with a question mark.
I meant, by that which I wrote, the following.
What the texts of the traditional religion of the Jewish people say about the country of the Jewish people have nothing to do with the right of the Jewish people to have, and to live in, and to govern themselves in, and to defend themselves in, their own country, in the same way that other national groups – other peoples – have, and live in, and govern themselves in, and are able to defend themselves in, their own countries.
Are culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people scouring the texts of the traditional religions of other peoples in order to delegitimize the nations of those peoples? No, of course, they are not doing so.
The texts of the traditional religion of the Jewish people are not anyone’s, other than the Jewish people’s, business.
Also, as part of that, the traditional religion of the Jewish people, unlike Christianity, and unlike Islam – which are both derivations of, and modifications of, the traditional religion of the Jewish people, and which utterly usurped the traditional religion of the Jewish people, is not an imperialist, nor supremacist, religion.
The traditional religion of the Jewish people, like the ancient traditional religions of other peoples, is a culturally chauvinistic religion, but the traditional religion of the Jewish people, unlike Christianity, and unlike Islam, is not an imperialistic, nor supremacist, religion.
Most importantly, the traditional religion of the Jewish people, unlike Islam, is not a totalitarian, imperialist, supremacist, theocratic political ideology and system of government.
There are approximately 2 billion Christians in the world.
There are approximately 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.
There are approximately 14 million Jewish people in the world.
There are 56 Muslim states in the world.
There are several officially Christian states in the world.
There are over 20 Muslim Arab states in the world.
There are several European states in the world.
There are many national states in the world.
There is only on Jewish state in the world – Israel, which is one of the smallest countries in the world, and which is a liberal democratic country.
There is now a huge, genocidally anti-Jewish, totalitarian, imperialist, Islamic supremacist political movement in the world – which is a political movement that is a revival of authoritative Islam, with the addition, to authoritative Islam, of traditional culturally Christian-European malicious conspiracy-theory ideology about the Jewish people.
What are culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people such as the members of the BBC doing in response to this huge, genocidally anti-Jewish, totalitarian, imperialist, Islamic supremacist political movement? They are, with lies, attacking the besieged – intendedly genocidally besieged – country of the Jewish people, and they are, with lies, glorifying, and, as part of that, obfuscating the actions of the adherents of, and, therein, obfuscating the nature of, and, therein, obfuscating the existence of, and, thereby, enabling, the huge, genocidally anti-Jewish, totalitarian, imperialist, Islamic supremacist political movement. Such culturally Christian-European (Christian and post-Christian) people are blameworthy.
—-End of Comments That I Posted on The Blog Daphne Anson—-
In order to protect the people of Israel from genocide, and in order to protect the well-being of all of the people in the world, the leaders of the government of Israel must mindfully, clearly, firmly, tell the factual, currently 94-year, history of the situation that Israel is in to the television news media of Western countries, and directly to the leaders of the governments of Western countries, and to the television news media of Israel.
On my blog (danielbielak.blogspot.com), I have written a brief summary of the history of the situation that Israel is in.
I apologize for the spelling mistake, and other grammatical mistakes, in my previous comment.
” It would, in short, be a group that would have to dissent at times not only from Israeli policy but also from the position of the left-wing establishment. It would have to be intellectually and politically capable of making the case that it is not Zionism that is abandoning the left, but the left that is abandoning Zionism.”
Such groups may not exist, but I know of a few individuals — two exemplars being Marty Peretz and Alan Dershowitz. I follow them closely because their intellectual struggle strikes me as truly heroic, and also because I think it is ultimately futile. I await their utter disillusionment with the left.
Let’s face it, “J”ihad St. would NEVER permit Palestinian Media Watch, the organization that keeps tabs of what PA/PLO/Fatah/Abbas say to their own people vs what they tell the US/West show up at any of its events. Team PA/Abbas curriculum and political/media rhetoric of nothing but incitment to hate and violence: rabid anti-Semtiicm and justification for murdering Jews, terror worship and honoring terrorists, delegtimization of the existence of Israel by saying Jews have NO historical connection to any part of the land, even Tel Aviv!.
Nope. “The Palestinisns – in their own words”, is something neither “J”ihad St. nor ANY participating organizations would EVER permit. That is why only anti-Semites, rabid left wing anti-Zionists, and the occassional delusional type are the only ones that will show up at a “J”ihad St. event. The truth about why there is no peace is why “J”ihad Street has SELF-delegtimized.
In the past year, “J”ihad St. has SELF delegitimized. How to put it completely out of business? Check web site Palestinian Media Watch. http://www.palwatch.org This is the organization that keeps tabs on what PA/PLO/Fatah/Abbas tell their own people vs what they tell the US/West. The curriculum and political/media rehtoric of hate of rabid anti-Semitism, justification for Jew murder, incitement to terror and worship of terrorists, and turning history upside down by denying any and all Jewish connection to ANY of the land, even Tel Aviv.
Let’s stop working so hard at “defending Israel”. Let’s show the world what the pretend “moderate” Palestinian leadership says to its own – in its own words.
Make EVERYONE you know, especially those too busy to “get involved” become intimately familiar with this material. Invite PMW to make a presentation to the largest possible audience in your community. Congress has heard the presentation so it is certianly worthy of a presentation at your communal or religious organization. Don’t bother with a room full of “activists”. Get the word OUT.
Exposing Team PA/Abbas for the stealth jihadis that they really are will change EVERYTHIING. Once people know that ideologically the faux “moderates” are no different than Hamas/Hezbolleh/Muslim Brotherhood, only the tactics are different, the world will stop pressuring Israel and start pressuring Team PA/Abbas to CHANGE COMPLETELY.
Our goal: NO peace “talks” until Team PA/Abbas toss out its inciteful curriculum and politcal/media rhetoric and adopt one of ecumenism such as: “all men and women are created euqal irrespective of religion”!
And…when everyone knows the real reason there is no peace – Palestinian genocidal ideology of Isalmic supremacy – “J”ihad St. will not even be able to afford a web site!
“What J Street Means When It Says ‘Pro-Israel’”
I think what they really mean is “We are mendacious self-loathers whoring ourselves out for Soros money and petrodollars”.
As Jews for Jesus is to Judaism, so J Street is to Israel. I prefer the AIPAC approach, even if it lobbies for Israeli policies that I don’t agree with, because the Israelis who freely elect their governments understand their own situation a lot better and have a lot more at risk than I do. It’s a simple matter of my believing in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and intellectual humility. J Street doesn’t seem to share either. Beyond that, it seems that J Street is a magnet for that self-hating Jew that I encountered so frequently in my years on the left.
J Street is the only practical solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Israeli land grabs which have been conveniently dubbed as settlements are considered highly illegal under all international laws. Just about every single government, including the United States, recognizes that the only way to achieve peace is to dramatically reduce Israel’s size by a substantial margin.
All J Street is doing is being cognizant of that fact in it’s approach to peace.
Dishonorable Sir (18), you are a liar.
Israeli “land grabs” are not the reason Israel is hated in the Arab and Muslim world.
“land grabs” are not the reason the Arab world tried to exterminate the country before 1967.
“land grabs” are not the reason the Arab world didn’t even consider accepting the UN partition plan in 1948.
“land grabs” are definitely not the reason why Hamas and other militant Muslim groups demand the destruction of Israel, define all of Israel as holy Arab and Muslim land, and reject any kind of Jewish autonomy in the Middle East.
Israel has already given up more territory than it now consists of. There are many other territorial disputes in the region – for example, between Turkey and Syria. These have never been used to excuse ideologies of genocide or wars of terror, because of a simple reason – none of the sides is Jewish.
Keep lying to yourself, but know that you can’t fool any one with even basic knowledge of the history of this confict.