MJ Rosenberg picks up an incident I’ve failed to note: the Israeli gov’t refusing to meet six congresspeople who visited Israel at the behest of J Street, and calling J Street "anti-Israel."
Anyway, at about the same time [deputy Foreign Minister Danny] Ayalon attacked J Street rhetorically, he also refused to meet with a group of six House members who were visiting Israel on a trip sponsored by J Street. He also urged other Israeli government officials not to meet with the visiting legislators.
This is almost unprecedented. Israeli government officials invariably meet with any Senator or House member who asks to meet with them. The reason is not mere courtesy. Until this episode, it was understood that dissing the people who provide more than $3 billion a year for Israel is simply…not very smart.
Of course, one could excuse this incident on the grounds that the blunder was committed by Danny Ayalon. He is the "diplomat" who came up with the idea of seating the Turkish ambassador to Israel in a kindergarten chair during a meeting to emphasize his displeasure with the Turkish government….
J Street’s message is that it is possible to be pro-Israel while opposing official policies that are clearly detrimental to Israel. Even more, it holds that opposing those policies is precisely what friends of Israel should do.
And this is what stings Ayalon, Oren and various like-minded types here.
As it becomes increasingly clear that maintaining the occupation, expanding settlements and continuing the blockade of Gaza not only seriously harms Palestinians but also Israel’s prospects for survival, Israel’s supporters are bound to look for ways to support Israel other than simply playing lemming.
