54 Democrat Congressmen Told Obama to Pressure Israel -
Call Now! Tell them they're wrong!
By now, you've probably heard that 54 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives (no Republicans) sent a letter to President Obama - a letter in which they urge him to pressure Israel to loosen security measures on Israel's border with Hamas-controlled Gaza.
This is outrageous. And we need to raise our voices to respond!
These security measures were implemented to counter the threat from terrorism originating from the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip.
Not a single Republican member signed on. But the fact remains that one in five Democrats in Congress have called on the President to pressure Israel. Unbelievably, they want him to demand an end to measures imposed to fight against terrorism.
These 54 Democrats expressed no concern whatsoever about the consequences their ideas might have for Israelis living under the threat of terrorism from Gaza!
RJC activists need to let these badly misguided Democrats know that their shameful act has been noticed and that Jewish Americans won't stand for it.
Call now and tell the "Gaza 54":
As Americans and supporters of Israel's right of self-defense, we reject your call for pressure on our beleaguered ally. And we demand that you take a firm stand against terrorism.
The 54 Congressmen who signed this letter are:
Arizona
Raul Grijalva: 202-225-2435
California
Lois Capps: 202-225-3601
Sam Farr: 202-225-2861
Bob Filner: 202-225-8045
Barbara Lee: 202-225-2661
Loretta Sanchez: 202-225-2965
Pete Stark: 202-225-5065
Michael Honda: 202-225-2631
Lynn Woolsey: 202-225-5161
Jackie Speier: 202-225-3531
Diane Watson: 202-225-7084
George Miller: 202-225-2095
Connecticut
Jim Himes: 202-225-5541
Indiana
Andre Carson: 202-225-4011
Iowa
Bruce Braley: 202-225-2911
Kentucky
John Yarmuth: 202-225-5401
Maryland
Elijah Cummings: 202-225-4741
Donna Edwards: 202-225-8699
Massachusetts
Michael Capuano: 202-225-5111
William Delahunt: 202-225-3111
Jim McGovern: 202-225-6101
John Tierney: 202-225-8020
John Olver: 202-225-5335
Stephen Lynch: 202-225-8273
Michigan
John Conyers: 202-225-5126
John Dingell: 202-225-4071
Carolyn Kilpatrick: 202-225-2261
Minnesota
Keith Ellison: 202-225-4755
Betty McCollum: 202-225-6631
James Oberstar: 202-225-6211
New Jersey
Donald Payne: 202-225-3436
Rush Holt: 202-202-225-5801
Bill Pascrell: 202-225-5751
New York
Yvette Clarke: 202-225-6231
Maurice Hinchey: 202-225-6335
Paul Tonko: 202-225-5076
Eric Massa: 202-225-3161
North Carolina
David Price: 202-225-1784
Ohio
Mary Jo Kilroy: 202-225-2015
Marcy Kaptur: 202-225-4146
Oregon
Earl Blumenauer: 202-225-4811
Peter DeFazio: 202-225-6416
Pennsylvania
Chaka Fattah: 202-225-4001
Joe Sestak: 202-225-2011
Vermont
Peter Welch: 202-225-4115
Virginia
Jim Moran: 202-225-4376
Glenn Nye: 202-225-4215
Washington
Jim McDermott: 202-225-3106
Adam Smith: 202-225-8901
Jay Inslee: 202-225-6311
Brian Baird: 202-225-3536
West Virginia
Nick Rahall: 202-225-3452
Wisconsin
Tammy Baldwin: 202-225-2906
Gwen Moore:202-225-4572
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
5 main dangers of J Street
5 Main Dangers of J Street taken from various sites
1. J Street aims to distance US from Israel and undermine US support for Israel
a. Their own statements demonstrate it: “As Americans, we worry about the impact of Israeli policies on vital U.S. interests in the Middle East and around the world”
b. Ben-Ami is so intent on driving a sharp wedge between Israeli and U.S. interests that he totally ignores multi-layered security ties that bind Washington and Jerusalem -- from missile defense to intelligence sharing to thwarting terrorist threats from Hezb'allah and Hamas.
c. Not content to peddle a fictional incompatibility between U.S. and Israeli interests, Ben-Ami then goes on to depict Israel as a threat to "the health and vitality" of the U.S. Jewish community. This is nothing but another attempt to revive baseless fears that, if Israel exercises its right to self-defense, American Jews will be at risk. .
d. J Street is a very non-pacific front organization for Arab designs on Israel . It has issued a call for "forceful" opposition to Israel . Here's their language “J Street Calls for Stronger American Engagement to Stop Provocative Actions in Jerusalem . ...J Street urges the U.S. government to forcefully oppose provocative, unilateral actions …J Street condemns .....We urge the United States and American political leaders to seek an end to actions “
2. J Street policy effect would be the end of Israel.
a. If Israel were to deviate from its current path and shape its security according to J Street and world opinion, Israel definitely would be a goner.
b. J Street's agenda is to turn Israel into a state in which Jews might find a home -- leaving plenty of room for a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees and a bi-national state that dare not identify itself as Jewish.
c. How far left is J Street? President Obama has no trouble describing Israel as Jewish state. J Street does.
d. The Israeli ambassador to the United States blasted J Street, saying the organization was "fooling around with the lives of 7 million people." Among the policies Oren pointed to as problematic were J Street 's criticism of Israel 's attack on Gaza last winter, its refusal to reject the Goldstone report
e. J Street Refused to accept Israel ’s right of self-defense in Gaza
In regard to the recent Gaza conflict, it is J Street ’s address of Israel ’s side that truly casts some doubt on its “pro-Israel” stance. J Street ’s website features a section titled “ J Street ’s Response to the Gaza Crisis” (note, the word, crisis). The organization lists a number of statements and articles condemning Israel ’s military response to the rocket attacks, calling it “disproportional,” “counterproductive” and “deepening the cycle of violence.” No such criticism exists for Hamas’ rocket warfare and even more disturbing is the website’s lack of information about the destructive impact of the Gaza rockets on Israeli civilians. It appears that for J Street , the issue of the Gaza conflict is not even about Gaza but Israel ’s military response to Palestinian rocket terrorism. Not once does J Street point out that Palestinians who commit terror acts against Israel adhere to a radical Islamic ideology that teaches them to do so, nor that key players, like Iran and Syria , are heavily involved in supporting the terror war against Israel . Of course, J Street also refrains from mentioning that Hamas’ charter calls for the complete destruction of Israel .
3. J Street interferes in sovereign democratic government of Israel. What moral right do they have to interfere? As the far-left voice of J Street, Ben-Ami takes dead aim at Netanyahu's government, even though its diplomatic and security agenda does not differ materially from that of the previous centrist-led Kadima government of Ehud Olmert.
4. J Street has deep ties to enemies of Israel.
a. Iranian ties J Street conspiring with an organization run by an Iranian national -- an organization that Congress has asked AG Holder to investigate for violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws -- to kill that legislation? Parsi was invited to speak at J Street 's conference. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the unofficial spokesman for Iran 's Green Movement. "I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green Movement. I feel his lobbying has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic," Makhmalbaf said. It seems J Street isn't just redefining "pro-Israel" -- they're redefining "pro-Iran" as well.
b. Others According to the US Federal Election Commission, donors to J Street ’s political action committee hail from forums aligned against Israel . J Street’s donors are affiliated with the National Iranian American Council, “Stop the Occupation”, AMIDEAST, the US State Department and the Arab American Institute -establishments not exactly known for pro-Israel views. Among the many private Jewish and Christian donors to J Street , there are also a number of Islamic and pro-Iranian activists, as well as Palestinian and Arab American businesspeople. One such example is Zahi Khouri, a major Palestinian businessman with a Coke franchise in the West Bank . Khouri actually decried Israel ’s attempts towards economic peace with the Palestinians in an article he wrote in the New York Times on September 9.
c. One member of the J Street Philly Host Committee “compared Israel's treatment of Gaza with the genocide in Sudan .
d. "Another Host Committee member is involved with ICAHD, a radical group which interferes with Israeli efforts to stop terrorism and which advocates "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel .”
e. J Street is Raising money for Congress people who blast Israel “from the Arabist New Day”: J Street Raises $15,000 for Donna Edwards in 240 Minutes | TPMCafe By Issandr El Amrani New Day: J Street Raises $15,000 for Donna Edwards in 240 Minutes | TPMCafe Donna Edwards, another African-American representative who did not endorse Israel's Gaza brutalities, now defended by J Street.
5. J Street Influences Obama to ruin negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians
a. :Obama took the great advice of “progressive” geniuses like Rashid Khalidi and J Street. J Street , when not bad-mouthing AIPAC behind closed doors, spent much of the year openly bragging about their White House influence. According to Time, here are the results. Nothing pushed Israel and the Palestinians further away from negotiations than Obama doing what J Street suggested: making harsh demands on Israel, insisting on a total freeze on ‘natural growth,’ treating even Jerusalem as if it was a hilltop settlement, demanding that Israel give in on just about everything prior to negotiations. (Why even negotiate? Obama made all his dictates – exactly as J Street advised — in lieu of Israel and the Palestinians actually negotiating these things themselves.) Obama once pretended to be an “honest broker” only to expose himself as a Jimmy Carter-type advocate for the bad guys. And he did it in record time. Good job, J Street . Maybe that’s what “J” stands for: Jimmy
b. This is the reality- Obama brought J-Street into the center of the Israeli Palestinian issue, appointing their people to his Administration, and allowing J-Street a place at the table. Put simply, Obama is the face of J-Street. And J-Street is not pro-Israel
1. J Street aims to distance US from Israel and undermine US support for Israel
a. Their own statements demonstrate it: “As Americans, we worry about the impact of Israeli policies on vital U.S. interests in the Middle East and around the world”
b. Ben-Ami is so intent on driving a sharp wedge between Israeli and U.S. interests that he totally ignores multi-layered security ties that bind Washington and Jerusalem -- from missile defense to intelligence sharing to thwarting terrorist threats from Hezb'allah and Hamas.
c. Not content to peddle a fictional incompatibility between U.S. and Israeli interests, Ben-Ami then goes on to depict Israel as a threat to "the health and vitality" of the U.S. Jewish community. This is nothing but another attempt to revive baseless fears that, if Israel exercises its right to self-defense, American Jews will be at risk. .
d. J Street is a very non-pacific front organization for Arab designs on Israel . It has issued a call for "forceful" opposition to Israel . Here's their language “J Street Calls for Stronger American Engagement to Stop Provocative Actions in Jerusalem . ...J Street urges the U.S. government to forcefully oppose provocative, unilateral actions …J Street condemns .....We urge the United States and American political leaders to seek an end to actions “
2. J Street policy effect would be the end of Israel.
a. If Israel were to deviate from its current path and shape its security according to J Street and world opinion, Israel definitely would be a goner.
b. J Street's agenda is to turn Israel into a state in which Jews might find a home -- leaving plenty of room for a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees and a bi-national state that dare not identify itself as Jewish.
c. How far left is J Street? President Obama has no trouble describing Israel as Jewish state. J Street does.
d. The Israeli ambassador to the United States blasted J Street, saying the organization was "fooling around with the lives of 7 million people." Among the policies Oren pointed to as problematic were J Street 's criticism of Israel 's attack on Gaza last winter, its refusal to reject the Goldstone report
e. J Street Refused to accept Israel ’s right of self-defense in Gaza
In regard to the recent Gaza conflict, it is J Street ’s address of Israel ’s side that truly casts some doubt on its “pro-Israel” stance. J Street ’s website features a section titled “ J Street ’s Response to the Gaza Crisis” (note, the word, crisis). The organization lists a number of statements and articles condemning Israel ’s military response to the rocket attacks, calling it “disproportional,” “counterproductive” and “deepening the cycle of violence.” No such criticism exists for Hamas’ rocket warfare and even more disturbing is the website’s lack of information about the destructive impact of the Gaza rockets on Israeli civilians. It appears that for J Street , the issue of the Gaza conflict is not even about Gaza but Israel ’s military response to Palestinian rocket terrorism. Not once does J Street point out that Palestinians who commit terror acts against Israel adhere to a radical Islamic ideology that teaches them to do so, nor that key players, like Iran and Syria , are heavily involved in supporting the terror war against Israel . Of course, J Street also refrains from mentioning that Hamas’ charter calls for the complete destruction of Israel .
3. J Street interferes in sovereign democratic government of Israel. What moral right do they have to interfere? As the far-left voice of J Street, Ben-Ami takes dead aim at Netanyahu's government, even though its diplomatic and security agenda does not differ materially from that of the previous centrist-led Kadima government of Ehud Olmert.
4. J Street has deep ties to enemies of Israel.
a. Iranian ties J Street conspiring with an organization run by an Iranian national -- an organization that Congress has asked AG Holder to investigate for violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws -- to kill that legislation? Parsi was invited to speak at J Street 's conference. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the unofficial spokesman for Iran 's Green Movement. "I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green Movement. I feel his lobbying has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic," Makhmalbaf said. It seems J Street isn't just redefining "pro-Israel" -- they're redefining "pro-Iran" as well.
b. Others According to the US Federal Election Commission, donors to J Street ’s political action committee hail from forums aligned against Israel . J Street’s donors are affiliated with the National Iranian American Council, “Stop the Occupation”, AMIDEAST, the US State Department and the Arab American Institute -establishments not exactly known for pro-Israel views. Among the many private Jewish and Christian donors to J Street , there are also a number of Islamic and pro-Iranian activists, as well as Palestinian and Arab American businesspeople. One such example is Zahi Khouri, a major Palestinian businessman with a Coke franchise in the West Bank . Khouri actually decried Israel ’s attempts towards economic peace with the Palestinians in an article he wrote in the New York Times on September 9.
c. One member of the J Street Philly Host Committee “compared Israel's treatment of Gaza with the genocide in Sudan .
d. "Another Host Committee member is involved with ICAHD, a radical group which interferes with Israeli efforts to stop terrorism and which advocates "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel .”
e. J Street is Raising money for Congress people who blast Israel “from the Arabist New Day”: J Street Raises $15,000 for Donna Edwards in 240 Minutes | TPMCafe By Issandr El Amrani New Day: J Street Raises $15,000 for Donna Edwards in 240 Minutes | TPMCafe Donna Edwards, another African-American representative who did not endorse Israel's Gaza brutalities, now defended by J Street.
5. J Street Influences Obama to ruin negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians
a. :Obama took the great advice of “progressive” geniuses like Rashid Khalidi and J Street. J Street , when not bad-mouthing AIPAC behind closed doors, spent much of the year openly bragging about their White House influence. According to Time, here are the results. Nothing pushed Israel and the Palestinians further away from negotiations than Obama doing what J Street suggested: making harsh demands on Israel, insisting on a total freeze on ‘natural growth,’ treating even Jerusalem as if it was a hilltop settlement, demanding that Israel give in on just about everything prior to negotiations. (Why even negotiate? Obama made all his dictates – exactly as J Street advised — in lieu of Israel and the Palestinians actually negotiating these things themselves.) Obama once pretended to be an “honest broker” only to expose himself as a Jimmy Carter-type advocate for the bad guys. And he did it in record time. Good job, J Street . Maybe that’s what “J” stands for: Jimmy
b. This is the reality- Obama brought J-Street into the center of the Israeli Palestinian issue, appointing their people to his Administration, and allowing J-Street a place at the table. Put simply, Obama is the face of J-Street. And J-Street is not pro-Israel
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Penn Hillel-undermines Israel with this
'Z Street' Crosses J Street-Hillel University Campaign
by Hana Levi Julian
Follow Israel news on and .
(IsraelNN.com) The Hillel Jewish student organization will welcome the strongly pro-Palestinian Authority ''J Street' lobby, which calls itself "pro Israel' into its building at the University of Pennsylvania campus to launch a new grassroots campaign next month. J Street executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami will broadcast a speech during the event, which will take place on February 4 at Steinhardt Hall, where the U Penn Hillel is located, in Philadelphia.
The J Street announcement is promoting the event as a “call to action live to thousands of supporters at local gatherings across the United States.” The announcement added, “Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about J Street Philadelphia and join brainstorming groups to move forward our common pro-Israel, pro-peace agenda.”
The event is vehemently opposed by counter-protest groups, among them an organization calling itself “Z Street,” which noted that one member of the J Street Philly Host Committee “compared Israel's treatment of Gaza with the genocide in Sudan." Another Host Committee member is involved with ICAHD, a radical group which interferes with Israeli efforts to stop terrorism and which advocates "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.”
J Street strongly criticized the Jewish State for the counterterrorist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last year that largely stilled the constant rocket and mortar fire which for eight years had rained down on civilians in southern Israel. It supported the Goldstone Report.
Israel's Ambassador the U.S., Michael Oren, has characterized the group as one that “not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it [also] opposes all policies of all Israeli governments. It is significantly out of the mainstream.” He refused an invitation to speak at the J Street convention several months ago.
'Z Street' added pointedly in an Internet posting, “If the local people associated with J Street have such extreme positions against Israel, what do you think college students will learn from J Street? Do we want Jewish college students to associate Hillel with J Street?”
The Hillel organization, known as The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, promotes itself as the largest Jewish campus organization in the world and for decades has enjoyed a reputation as "the" address for Jewish students to turn to. On its website, the organization states that its mission is to help students "find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood."
Visitors to the Z Street site were encouraged to contact Hillel to express their views about the matter. An email address (halpert@pobox.upenn.edu) proved to be inaccessible when tried by Israel National News, but both the phone number (215-989-8265) and fax numbers (215-898-8259) were viable.
Hillel director Rabbi Howard Alpert has not replied to Israel National News after a message was left on his voice mail.
by Hana Levi Julian
Follow Israel news on and .
(IsraelNN.com) The Hillel Jewish student organization will welcome the strongly pro-Palestinian Authority ''J Street' lobby, which calls itself "pro Israel' into its building at the University of Pennsylvania campus to launch a new grassroots campaign next month. J Street executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami will broadcast a speech during the event, which will take place on February 4 at Steinhardt Hall, where the U Penn Hillel is located, in Philadelphia.
The J Street announcement is promoting the event as a “call to action live to thousands of supporters at local gatherings across the United States.” The announcement added, “Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about J Street Philadelphia and join brainstorming groups to move forward our common pro-Israel, pro-peace agenda.”
The event is vehemently opposed by counter-protest groups, among them an organization calling itself “Z Street,” which noted that one member of the J Street Philly Host Committee “compared Israel's treatment of Gaza with the genocide in Sudan." Another Host Committee member is involved with ICAHD, a radical group which interferes with Israeli efforts to stop terrorism and which advocates "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.”
J Street strongly criticized the Jewish State for the counterterrorist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last year that largely stilled the constant rocket and mortar fire which for eight years had rained down on civilians in southern Israel. It supported the Goldstone Report.
Israel's Ambassador the U.S., Michael Oren, has characterized the group as one that “not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it [also] opposes all policies of all Israeli governments. It is significantly out of the mainstream.” He refused an invitation to speak at the J Street convention several months ago.
'Z Street' added pointedly in an Internet posting, “If the local people associated with J Street have such extreme positions against Israel, what do you think college students will learn from J Street? Do we want Jewish college students to associate Hillel with J Street?”
The Hillel organization, known as The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, promotes itself as the largest Jewish campus organization in the world and for decades has enjoyed a reputation as "the" address for Jewish students to turn to. On its website, the organization states that its mission is to help students "find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood."
Visitors to the Z Street site were encouraged to contact Hillel to express their views about the matter. An email address (halpert@pobox.upenn.edu) proved to be inaccessible when tried by Israel National News, but both the phone number (215-989-8265) and fax numbers (215-898-8259) were viable.
Hillel director Rabbi Howard Alpert has not replied to Israel National News after a message was left on his voice mail.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Street firmly in anti -Israel, pro Iran camp
Street firmly in anti -Israel, pro Iran camp
J Street: Not Really So Concerned About Israel's Security
Another fun email from the NIAC treasure trove...Given that J Street blasted Sarah Palin for her support for the official policy of the government in Jerusalem, and given that even ADL chief Abe Foxman is questioning J Street's "pro-Israel" bona fides as a result, it's worth taking a look behind the scenes of J Street's campaign to scuttle new sanctions on Iran -- a campaign that the group coordinated with NIAC. Here's J Street political director Joel Rubin congratulating the legislative director of the National Iranian American Council, Emily Blout, on their successful push to defeat new sanctions legislation in late 2008:
From: Joel Rubin
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:30:43 -0400
To: Emily Blout
Subject: Re: Hi - get together in mid-October?
I just got airtight confirmation that no 362 language will be included in the Iran sanctions subsection of the India nuclear bill. My bet is that that subsection will get dropped in conference, if it even gets that far. Of course, who knows if they'll be back in November and if the other side makes another play. In any event, you guys did great work this year. Really great
I don't think anybody would make the claim that NIAC is on the "pro-Israel" side, so when Rubin talks about "the other side," it's the genuine pro-Israel community he's talking about, right? Sanctions are the number one priority for Israel and the pro-Israel community in the United States. Why is J Street conspiring with an organization run by an Iranian national -- an organization that Congress has asked AG Holder to investigate for violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws -- to kill that legislation?
Parsi was invited to speak at J Street's conference last month. At the time, I asked Hadar Susskind, J Street's director of policy and strategy, what he was doing there. "Some people say Parsi is the regime's man in Washington," I told him. "Those people are wrong," Susskind said. He insisted that Parsi "supports the Iranian people, he is not here on behalf of the regime." Maybe, but that isn't the way the Iranian people see it. When Eli Lake first broke this story, he closed with a quote from Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the unofficial spokesman for Iran's Green Movement. "I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green Movement. I feel his lobbying has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic," Makhmalbaf said. It seems J Street isn't just redefining "pro-Israel" -- they're redefining "pro-Iran" as well.
J Street: Not Really So Concerned About Israel's Security
Another fun email from the NIAC treasure trove...Given that J Street blasted Sarah Palin for her support for the official policy of the government in Jerusalem, and given that even ADL chief Abe Foxman is questioning J Street's "pro-Israel" bona fides as a result, it's worth taking a look behind the scenes of J Street's campaign to scuttle new sanctions on Iran -- a campaign that the group coordinated with NIAC. Here's J Street political director Joel Rubin congratulating the legislative director of the National Iranian American Council, Emily Blout, on their successful push to defeat new sanctions legislation in late 2008:
From: Joel Rubin
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:30:43 -0400
To: Emily Blout
Subject: Re: Hi - get together in mid-October?
I just got airtight confirmation that no 362 language will be included in the Iran sanctions subsection of the India nuclear bill. My bet is that that subsection will get dropped in conference, if it even gets that far. Of course, who knows if they'll be back in November and if the other side makes another play. In any event, you guys did great work this year. Really great
I don't think anybody would make the claim that NIAC is on the "pro-Israel" side, so when Rubin talks about "the other side," it's the genuine pro-Israel community he's talking about, right? Sanctions are the number one priority for Israel and the pro-Israel community in the United States. Why is J Street conspiring with an organization run by an Iranian national -- an organization that Congress has asked AG Holder to investigate for violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws -- to kill that legislation?
Parsi was invited to speak at J Street's conference last month. At the time, I asked Hadar Susskind, J Street's director of policy and strategy, what he was doing there. "Some people say Parsi is the regime's man in Washington," I told him. "Those people are wrong," Susskind said. He insisted that Parsi "supports the Iranian people, he is not here on behalf of the regime." Maybe, but that isn't the way the Iranian people see it. When Eli Lake first broke this story, he closed with a quote from Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the unofficial spokesman for Iran's Green Movement. "I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green Movement. I feel his lobbying has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic," Makhmalbaf said. It seems J Street isn't just redefining "pro-Israel" -- they're redefining "pro-Iran" as well.
why is Chicago's Temple Emanuel hosting this anti-Israel group?
call and omplain
or email them
Contact us: Info@emanuelcong.org
5959 N. Sheridan Rd.
Chicago, Illinois 60660
Telephone: 773-561-5173
or email them
Contact us: Info@emanuelcong.org
5959 N. Sheridan Rd.
Chicago, Illinois 60660
Telephone: 773-561-5173
Israeli ambassador blasts J Street
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
J street dangerous for Israel-Oren
Oren blasts J Street
December 10, 2009
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The Israeli ambassador to the United States blasted J Street, saying the organization was "fooling around with the lives of 7 million people."
Michael Oren, responding to a question during an appearance Monday before the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's biennial convention, described the left-wing pro-Israel group as "a unique problem in that it not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it opposes all policies of all Israeli governments. It's significantly out of the mainstream," The Forward reported.
"This is not a matter of settlements here [or] there," said Oren. "We understand that there are differences of opinion. But when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state, there should be no differences of opinion. You are fooling around with the lives of 7 million people. This is no joke."
Among the policies Oren pointed to as problematic were J Street's criticism of Israel's attack on Gaza last winter, its refusal to reject the Goldstone report and its failure to support additional sanctions on Iran. The same morning Oren spoke, J Street released a statement announcing that it now backed passage of Iran sanctions legislation in Congress.
Oren's remarks were much more critical than a statement from an Israeli Embassy spokesman in October, when Oren declined an invitation to address J Street's inaugural conference. At that time, the embassy said it would be "privately communicating its concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel."
J street dangerous for Israel-Oren
Oren blasts J Street
December 10, 2009
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The Israeli ambassador to the United States blasted J Street, saying the organization was "fooling around with the lives of 7 million people."
Michael Oren, responding to a question during an appearance Monday before the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's biennial convention, described the left-wing pro-Israel group as "a unique problem in that it not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it opposes all policies of all Israeli governments. It's significantly out of the mainstream," The Forward reported.
"This is not a matter of settlements here [or] there," said Oren. "We understand that there are differences of opinion. But when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state, there should be no differences of opinion. You are fooling around with the lives of 7 million people. This is no joke."
Among the policies Oren pointed to as problematic were J Street's criticism of Israel's attack on Gaza last winter, its refusal to reject the Goldstone report and its failure to support additional sanctions on Iran. The same morning Oren spoke, J Street released a statement announcing that it now backed passage of Iran sanctions legislation in Congress.
Oren's remarks were much more critical than a statement from an Israeli Embassy spokesman in October, when Oren declined an invitation to address J Street's inaugural conference. At that time, the embassy said it would be "privately communicating its concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel."
Obama, anti-semitism czar and undermining Israel
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Obama anti-Israel?
*By: Jim Meyers*
President Barack Obama’s anti-Semitism “czar” Hannah Rosenthal has been
castigated by Jewish leaders for publicly criticizing Israel’s
Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren.
The flap began when the Israeli embassy said Oren would not attend a
conference hosted by J Street, an advocacy group based in the U.S. that
promotes American leadership to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The embassy asserted that Oren would not attend because J Street
supports positions that may “impair Israel’s interest.” In fact, the
American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC) has stated that J Street is “a
radical, far left, anti-Israel, American organization funded by Arab and
radical sources" which "has been almost universally condemned by
mainstream Jewish organizations."
Rosenthal, a member of J Street’s advisory panel before being appointed
by Obama to head the Office To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, called
Oren’s decision “most unfortunate.” She also said he would have “learned
a lot” at the conference, and criticized him for pointing out to an
assembly of Jewish leaders that J Street was “fooling around with the
lives of 7 million people.”
The AIAC has responded to her criticism by calling for Rosenthal’s ouster.
Harvey Schwartz, AIAC’s chairman, stated: “As a high ranking member of
the Obama administration, Rosenthal’s criticism of the Israeli
Ambassador to the U.S. is beyond bizarre, and highly offensive in the
extreme. It is a virulent anti-Israel attack which AIAC interprets to be
anti-Semitic.
"That the State Department took the highly unusual step of announcing
its 'complete support' for Rosenthal confirms that she was expressing
the views of the Obama administration. Contrary to her duty to fight
anti-Semitism, Rosenthal used her bully pulpit to advance it. This is
deplorable.
“Even more deplorable is the Obama administration’s public slap at
Israel, utilizing Rosenthal as its mouthpiece,” Schwartz continued in
remarks reported by IsraelNationalNews.com.
“When coupled with the Obama administration’s numerous other slaps at
Israel, including its almost hysterical non-recognition of Israel’s
inalienable right to build civilian homes in its Jerusalem capital and
[U.S. peace envoy and former Senator George] Mitchell’s recent public
threat to withdraw U.S. loan guarantees from Israel, while at the same
time saying and doing nothing to the Palestinians to ‘encourage’ them to
return to the peace talks, the Obama administration has laid bare its
anti-Israel focus and has proven itself to no longer be an honest broker
for peace.”
Aaron Tirschwell, AIAC’s Executive Director, declared that “Rosenthal
has committed an unpardonable sin. She must go promptly. AIAC calls upon
all American Jewish organizations, as well as all Americans of good
will, to demand that the Obama administration dismiss Rosenthal forthwith.”
Posted by Jewu.info at 12:59 PM 0 comments
Obama anti-Israel?
*By: Jim Meyers*
President Barack Obama’s anti-Semitism “czar” Hannah Rosenthal has been
castigated by Jewish leaders for publicly criticizing Israel’s
Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren.
The flap began when the Israeli embassy said Oren would not attend a
conference hosted by J Street, an advocacy group based in the U.S. that
promotes American leadership to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The embassy asserted that Oren would not attend because J Street
supports positions that may “impair Israel’s interest.” In fact, the
American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC) has stated that J Street is “a
radical, far left, anti-Israel, American organization funded by Arab and
radical sources" which "has been almost universally condemned by
mainstream Jewish organizations."
Rosenthal, a member of J Street’s advisory panel before being appointed
by Obama to head the Office To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, called
Oren’s decision “most unfortunate.” She also said he would have “learned
a lot” at the conference, and criticized him for pointing out to an
assembly of Jewish leaders that J Street was “fooling around with the
lives of 7 million people.”
The AIAC has responded to her criticism by calling for Rosenthal’s ouster.
Harvey Schwartz, AIAC’s chairman, stated: “As a high ranking member of
the Obama administration, Rosenthal’s criticism of the Israeli
Ambassador to the U.S. is beyond bizarre, and highly offensive in the
extreme. It is a virulent anti-Israel attack which AIAC interprets to be
anti-Semitic.
"That the State Department took the highly unusual step of announcing
its 'complete support' for Rosenthal confirms that she was expressing
the views of the Obama administration. Contrary to her duty to fight
anti-Semitism, Rosenthal used her bully pulpit to advance it. This is
deplorable.
“Even more deplorable is the Obama administration’s public slap at
Israel, utilizing Rosenthal as its mouthpiece,” Schwartz continued in
remarks reported by IsraelNationalNews.com.
“When coupled with the Obama administration’s numerous other slaps at
Israel, including its almost hysterical non-recognition of Israel’s
inalienable right to build civilian homes in its Jerusalem capital and
[U.S. peace envoy and former Senator George] Mitchell’s recent public
threat to withdraw U.S. loan guarantees from Israel, while at the same
time saying and doing nothing to the Palestinians to ‘encourage’ them to
return to the peace talks, the Obama administration has laid bare its
anti-Israel focus and has proven itself to no longer be an honest broker
for peace.”
Aaron Tirschwell, AIAC’s Executive Director, declared that “Rosenthal
has committed an unpardonable sin. She must go promptly. AIAC calls upon
all American Jewish organizations, as well as all Americans of good
will, to demand that the Obama administration dismiss Rosenthal forthwith.”
Posted by Jewu.info at 12:59 PM 0 comments
Not Pro Israel for colleges
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/221906
J Street Is Ba-a-a-ck
Jennifer Rubin - 01.22.2010 - 10:48 AM
When last we left the J Street gang, they were enjoying their Washington confab — though with many fewer congressional “hosts” once it became clear what the group’s agenda really was and what sort of Israel-bashing “artists” planned to entertain the assembled crowd. Then the conference itself proved informative. We learned that the J Streeters didn’t fancy calling themselves “pro-Israel,” at least not on college campuses. And we learned that what really got their juices flowing was a healthy dose of anti-anti-Iranian-regime propaganda and good old-fashioned neocon-bashing. Alas, there’s not much of a market for that on Capitol Hill, so their “lobbying” devolved into some mushy nothingness in which lawmakers were asked to do something to show they favored a two-state solution. (Gutsy stuff from these J Streeters, eh?)
Soon afterward we learned that J Street and NIAC shared some interesting conference calls, the object of which seemed to be, among other things, to get Dennis Ross. J Street didn’t like any of the Iran-sanction measures floating around Congress but seemed powerless to influence the votes.
So now that our memories are refreshed (ever since “engagement with Iran” became a laugh line, they’ve been sort of quiet), we see this report that J Street will ”be increasing the number and amount of its contributions to US Congressional candidates by at least 50 percent in the coming year. The announcement comes a few weeks ahead of J Street’s first planned trip to bring members of Congress to Israel.” One wonders if Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson are to be the tour guides.
And who are the recipients of the not-to-be-called-pro-Israel-if-it’s-inconvenient gang’s largesse? There are a bunch:
The 41 endorsees include one Republican, Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana, and one of the two Muslim members of Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Eight Jewish members also received JStreetPAC’s nod, including representatives Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Susan Davis of California, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and John Yarmuth of Kentucky, as well as the only senator on the list, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Also on the list are Bob Filner of California, Jared Polis of Colorado, and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.
Well, no one can excuse himself by pleading ignorance this time around, as did many of the “hosts” when confronted with J Street’s record in October. These lawmakers must be well aware of J Street’s anti-anti-Iran agenda and be quite enamored of its Israel-can-do-no-right rhetoric. One wonders if these lawmakers’ constituents share these views. That’s what elections are for, I suppose. We’ll find out soon enough whether there’s a market for Israel-bashing and Iran-sanction opposition.
J Street Is Ba-a-a-ck
Jennifer Rubin - 01.22.2010 - 10:48 AM
When last we left the J Street gang, they were enjoying their Washington confab — though with many fewer congressional “hosts” once it became clear what the group’s agenda really was and what sort of Israel-bashing “artists” planned to entertain the assembled crowd. Then the conference itself proved informative. We learned that the J Streeters didn’t fancy calling themselves “pro-Israel,” at least not on college campuses. And we learned that what really got their juices flowing was a healthy dose of anti-anti-Iranian-regime propaganda and good old-fashioned neocon-bashing. Alas, there’s not much of a market for that on Capitol Hill, so their “lobbying” devolved into some mushy nothingness in which lawmakers were asked to do something to show they favored a two-state solution. (Gutsy stuff from these J Streeters, eh?)
Soon afterward we learned that J Street and NIAC shared some interesting conference calls, the object of which seemed to be, among other things, to get Dennis Ross. J Street didn’t like any of the Iran-sanction measures floating around Congress but seemed powerless to influence the votes.
So now that our memories are refreshed (ever since “engagement with Iran” became a laugh line, they’ve been sort of quiet), we see this report that J Street will ”be increasing the number and amount of its contributions to US Congressional candidates by at least 50 percent in the coming year. The announcement comes a few weeks ahead of J Street’s first planned trip to bring members of Congress to Israel.” One wonders if Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson are to be the tour guides.
And who are the recipients of the not-to-be-called-pro-Israel-if-it’s-inconvenient gang’s largesse? There are a bunch:
The 41 endorsees include one Republican, Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana, and one of the two Muslim members of Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Eight Jewish members also received JStreetPAC’s nod, including representatives Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Susan Davis of California, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and John Yarmuth of Kentucky, as well as the only senator on the list, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Also on the list are Bob Filner of California, Jared Polis of Colorado, and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.
Well, no one can excuse himself by pleading ignorance this time around, as did many of the “hosts” when confronted with J Street’s record in October. These lawmakers must be well aware of J Street’s anti-anti-Iran agenda and be quite enamored of its Israel-can-do-no-right rhetoric. One wonders if these lawmakers’ constituents share these views. That’s what elections are for, I suppose. We’ll find out soon enough whether there’s a market for Israel-bashing and Iran-sanction opposition.
Dangers of J Street
Promoting organizations whose goals are inimical to the security of Israel is also the Newspeak definition of “pro-Israel.” That is why Rep. Jan Schakowsky said, “I see J Street (a lobbying group trying to displace AIPAC) as a pro-Israel organization." J Street “Pro-Israel” bonifides include: refusing to support House Resolution 867, which condemned the agregiously biased Goldstone Commission Report; opposing further sanctions on Iran; advocating for a freeze on all Jewish construction beyond the 1949 armistice lines, including Jerusalem; blaming Israel for the absence of peace; calling for increased U.S. pressure on Israel. The petition on the J Street Homepage reads: Click here to ask Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to redouble efforts to change Israel's behavior in Jerusalem.
Last October, when J Street rolled out its Washington conference line up, which included Israel bashers such as Salam al-Marayati, a proponent of the theory that Israel was the likely source of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the host list began to dwindle. Sen. John Kerry-D-MA), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), and Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) and Jane Harman (D-CA) decided that they had better things to do that day. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) said he was confused about the group's positions when he had accepted the invitation. "I have a consistently favorable pro-Israel voting record and if someone touts themselves as pro-Israel, I am very likely to join forces with them and that was my thinking with this group," he said. "Then I hear from my rabbi back home and others, and they assure me that this group is by no means on the same page with the mainstream Jewish community back in my district. And I didn't feel comfortable lending my name to that outfit."
Jan Schakowsky not only felt comfortable lending her “pro-Israel” name to “that outfit [J Street],” she also had no problem hosting the J Street gala or being its biggest backer in Congress. She appeared undisturbed by the rapturous applause and cries for, “Palestinian state! Now!” even though the Palestinians have refused for 61 years to acknowledge the existence of the Jewish State. She offered no objections to speaker after speaker, including General James Jones, the US national security adviser, who placed the responsibility for almost all of the world’s problems on Israel’s doorsteps. The audience erupted into applause when Jones called the Israel-Palestine conflict “the epicenter” of “many, many other problems around the world.” Nor did she question why a “Pro-Israel” conference made scarce mention of a neighboring regime which denies the Holocaust while it is aquiring the means of creating a second and final destruction of Jewry.
Unlike Jan Schakowsky, some commentators on the left were uneasy with J Street’s self description as “Pro-Peace and Pro-Israel.” Matthew Yglesias, Noam Pollak’s man of the year for moral equivalence, expressed doubt during the J Street Conference. “My J Street button said “Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace.” … “But when we moved to the Q&A time it became clear that a number of people in the audience really were quite uncomfortable self-defining as “pro-Israel” in any sense and that others are uncomfortable with the basic Zionist concept of a Jewish national state. Jonathan Chait, Senior Editor of the liberal New Republic (known during the Clinton years as the “in flight magazine for Air Force One), also had problems with the new meaning of “pro-Israel.” “…J Street had loosened the definition of "pro-Israel" to the point where it had virtually no meaning. As a result, the group has attracted the support of a lot of people who do not think of themselves as pro-Israel at all, some of whom oppose Israel's continued existence as a Jewish state. To accommodate students who may have animus towards Israel and not understand the new meaning of “pro,” J Street's university arm dropped the "pro-Israel" part of its slogan. Embracing the radically changed definition of “pro-Israel”, Jan Schakowsky addressed J Street, “I am always proud to join my many friends here today…I feel I share the goals of this organization…”
Apparently no one sent the Newspeak dictionary to Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Thus Oren characterized J Street as “a unique problem in that it not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it opposes all policies of allIsraeli governments. It’s significantly out of the mainstream….This is not a matter of settlements here [or] there. We understand there are differences of opinion,” Oren said. “But when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state, there should be no differences of opinion. You are fooling around with the lives of 7 million people.” This is no joke.”
Oren does not understand what my congressional representative Jan Schakowsky knows: In the new progressive political world order, opposing all policies of all Israeli governments, sitting on one heals when Israel is in trouble, defending Israel’s enemies, providing forums for those who vilify Israel is the new meaning of “pro-Israel.” This new definition should give us all heart, for now the UN, the EU, and all the Arab states are pro-Israel.
Last October, when J Street rolled out its Washington conference line up, which included Israel bashers such as Salam al-Marayati, a proponent of the theory that Israel was the likely source of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the host list began to dwindle. Sen. John Kerry-D-MA), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), and Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) and Jane Harman (D-CA) decided that they had better things to do that day. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) said he was confused about the group's positions when he had accepted the invitation. "I have a consistently favorable pro-Israel voting record and if someone touts themselves as pro-Israel, I am very likely to join forces with them and that was my thinking with this group," he said. "Then I hear from my rabbi back home and others, and they assure me that this group is by no means on the same page with the mainstream Jewish community back in my district. And I didn't feel comfortable lending my name to that outfit."
Jan Schakowsky not only felt comfortable lending her “pro-Israel” name to “that outfit [J Street],” she also had no problem hosting the J Street gala or being its biggest backer in Congress. She appeared undisturbed by the rapturous applause and cries for, “Palestinian state! Now!” even though the Palestinians have refused for 61 years to acknowledge the existence of the Jewish State. She offered no objections to speaker after speaker, including General James Jones, the US national security adviser, who placed the responsibility for almost all of the world’s problems on Israel’s doorsteps. The audience erupted into applause when Jones called the Israel-Palestine conflict “the epicenter” of “many, many other problems around the world.” Nor did she question why a “Pro-Israel” conference made scarce mention of a neighboring regime which denies the Holocaust while it is aquiring the means of creating a second and final destruction of Jewry.
Unlike Jan Schakowsky, some commentators on the left were uneasy with J Street’s self description as “Pro-Peace and Pro-Israel.” Matthew Yglesias, Noam Pollak’s man of the year for moral equivalence, expressed doubt during the J Street Conference. “My J Street button said “Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace.” … “But when we moved to the Q&A time it became clear that a number of people in the audience really were quite uncomfortable self-defining as “pro-Israel” in any sense and that others are uncomfortable with the basic Zionist concept of a Jewish national state. Jonathan Chait, Senior Editor of the liberal New Republic (known during the Clinton years as the “in flight magazine for Air Force One), also had problems with the new meaning of “pro-Israel.” “…J Street had loosened the definition of "pro-Israel" to the point where it had virtually no meaning. As a result, the group has attracted the support of a lot of people who do not think of themselves as pro-Israel at all, some of whom oppose Israel's continued existence as a Jewish state. To accommodate students who may have animus towards Israel and not understand the new meaning of “pro,” J Street's university arm dropped the "pro-Israel" part of its slogan. Embracing the radically changed definition of “pro-Israel”, Jan Schakowsky addressed J Street, “I am always proud to join my many friends here today…I feel I share the goals of this organization…”
Apparently no one sent the Newspeak dictionary to Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Thus Oren characterized J Street as “a unique problem in that it not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it opposes all policies of allIsraeli governments. It’s significantly out of the mainstream….This is not a matter of settlements here [or] there. We understand there are differences of opinion,” Oren said. “But when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state, there should be no differences of opinion. You are fooling around with the lives of 7 million people.” This is no joke.”
Oren does not understand what my congressional representative Jan Schakowsky knows: In the new progressive political world order, opposing all policies of all Israeli governments, sitting on one heals when Israel is in trouble, defending Israel’s enemies, providing forums for those who vilify Israel is the new meaning of “pro-Israel.” This new definition should give us all heart, for now the UN, the EU, and all the Arab states are pro-Israel.
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