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.
