Do I wish that J Street were more emphatic and angry? Of course. But its statement last night on the massacring of scores of Palestinian civilians must be welcomed. It represents a significant demurral from the feverish support for Israeli insanity that has gripped the power structure. It represents a fracture in the Jewish monolith that will have real consequences. I remember the hateful unanimity of Jewish leadership during the Lebanon disaster of 2 years ago, enforcing that unanimity on our politicians. But nothing stands still in politics, even the Israel lobby, and this is a real step forward, pointing even liberal/reactionary Jews, that bulk of American Jewish opinion, toward some larger understanding of the problem. Now you get to hear from J Street:
Respecting Israel’s right to defend itself, we urge leaders there to recognize that there is no military solution to what is fundamentally a political conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
We urge the incoming Obama administration to lead an early and serious effort to achieve a comprehensive diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts.
This is a fundamental American interest as we too stand to suffer as the situation spirals, rage in the region is directed at the United States, and our regional allies are further undermined. Our goals must be a Middle East that moves beyond bloody conflicts, an Israel that is secure and accepted in the region, and an America secured by reducing extremism and enhancing stability. None of these goals are achieved by further escalation.
Thanks to John Dickerson for forwarding this.
As i was reading the J streets statment on the events in gaza i saw that they to use that old cliche ( israel has the right to defend itself which is correct ) , but so do palistinian people in west bank and gaza , and contries areound the world .
J Street has it right.
J Street has it right with their call for a negotiated solution and their implicit recognition that our government has not played a positive role, and I salute their courage. They have taken a bold position contrary to the entire American Jewish establishment. Honestly, I am shocked, not in a surprised sense but in the sense that with such public courage, there is still hope, and mine has been evaporating steadily. I had completely forgotten about them while following this madness, but they have just made themselves serious players.
However, there is no evidence that they have taken the vital step of acknowledging the bitter truth that the ruling parties of Israel do not want, and never have wanted a peace other than that between master and helot. Every final-status negotiation thus far has been a sham, with concurrent frenetic colonization. Don't take my word for it. If you have the stones, look for yourself.
I realize that making such an acknowledgment publicly is far, far, far too much to ask. The folks at J-Street have already made a leap that would break most people. I believe they are serious, and they will learn about Israeli intransigence soon enough. It's completely ok to deal with the issue behind closed doors, as long as it is dealt with.