Ben Smith reports that J Street is taking AIPAC on directly, urging congresspeople not to sign a letter that AIPAC is circulating that backs Israel up on the flotilla raid. J Street doesn’t quarrel with the way Israel attacked the flotilla, killing nine, but it does say something about the Gaza blockade:
The sign-on letters now circulating in the House and Senate, while expressing strong American support for Israel – a position we endorse – fail to address the impact of the present closure of Gaza on the civilian population, the deep American interest in resolving this conflict diplomatically, or the urgency of moving forward with diplomacy before it is too late.
The letter also includes some trenchant, prophetic bits:
As is far too often the case, these letters have been drafted primarily for domestic political consumption rather than to advance the U.S. interest in peace and security in the Middle East…. J Street fears that, in the years ahead, lawmakers will come to regret the failure of the United States to exercise real leadership toward ending the conflict.
