Myths and Facts About J Street

Since our founding, accusations about J Street and our leadership have morphed from whispered lies to stated fact in attacks on J Street in various right-leaning publications, organizations, and blogs.

To bring the conversation over what is best for Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic homeland back to reality, we’ve compiled short responses to frequently overheard and simply untrue attacks against J Street.

J Street is proud to provide a reasoned, moderate voice for supporters of Israel – Jewish and not.  We encourage open and honest debate about what is best for Israel and the United States and we urge those who disagree with us to engage on the merits, rather than engaging in scurrilous personal attacks.

You can also watch video on J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami answering some tough questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and J Street here.

You can read Ben-Ami’s interview in Hadassah Magazine here.

If you would like us to answer an attack on J Street, send us an email at info [at] jstreet.org.

Myth:
J Street is not truly supportive of Israel.

Fact:

We are pro-Israel because we believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the single best chance we have to secure Israel’s future as a Jewish democracy.

We believe in the original Zionist idea of a country where Jews could always go to be secure, and we hope that Israel will live up to and represent the core Jewish values of justice, equality, and democracy.

We also do not believe that agreeing with everything the current Israeli government does should be the litmus test for what it means to be pro-Israel.

We believe, like many American supporters of Israel, in a big tent concept of what it means to be pro-Israel. We are also hopeful that our efforts will encourage more Americans who have previously been uncomfortable with describing themselves as pro-Israel, especially young Americans, to find a home in our vision of what it means to be
pro-Israel.

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Myth:
J Street has defended Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Fact:
J Street is strongly opposed to the development of nuclear weapons by Iran.  Preventing Iran from acquiring such weapons is a critical strategic interest of the United States, Israel, and the entire Middle East, and is essential to achieving regional peace and stability.

We agree with President Barack Obama and the leadership of the United States Congress that the United States must do everything possible to prevent the development of Iranian nuclear weapons. We believe that any serious and realistic attempt to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions demands a comprehensive and multilateral approach, rooted in diplomatic engagement with Iran and the international community.

In the face of continued Iranian rejection and provocation, we also believe the time has come for the United States and its international partners to ready new multilateral sanctions on the Government of Iran as a means of gaining leverage at this decisive moment in the diplomatic track.  To enhance the tools at the United States’ disposal as part of a broad multilateral effort to increase pressure on Iran, J Street supported Congressional passage of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 (IRPSA).  Presentation of this bill for the President’s consideration will highlight, at a critical juncture for the Iranian Government, that they face a real choice between one path that leads to further isolation and another that leads to full integration in the international community and the ability to develop their economy to its full potential.

We remain strongly opposed to the use of military force by Israel or the United States to attack Iran.

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Myth:
J Street favors the United States negotiating with Hamas.

Fact:
J Street believes that Hamas’ consistent opposition to the peace process, its support for terror against Israeli civilians, its use of violence for political purposes, and its repeated denial of the Holocaust are all reprehensible and abominable.

We also recognize, however, that one makes peace with one’s enemies not one’s friends. Hamas is a political movement that has an important and significant base of support within Palestinian society and politics. Ultimately, a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will require Palestinian political reconciliation and we support efforts by third parties to achieve reconciliation and a unity government, whose officials will work within a diplomatic process to achieve an acceptable two-state solution.

Further, we would not oppose a decision by the Israeli government, the United States, or other countries to find unofficial, indirect ways to engage Hamas in order to advance U.S. and Israeli interests. For instance, it is important to remember that this Israeli government and prior ones have engaged indirectly with Hamas over such issues as bringing home Gilad Shalit and achieving ceasefires that end rocket attacks against Israel.

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Myth:
J Street’s Advisory Council is made up of anti-Israel ideologues.

Fact:

J Street’s Advisory Council consists of over 200 prominent Americans – including former members of Congress, rabbis, former Jewish community leaders and professionals, and many others. Click here for the full list.

Some on the Council have been publicly critical of Israeli policy – and so has J Street at times. We do not equate opposition to the policies of a particular Israeli government or official with being anti-Israel – just as we don’t equate opposition to a particular American party or official with being anti-American.

We have a particular view on the policies that would be most beneficial to Israel and to the United States – and we realize that there are those who disagree. We urge an open and robust debate on the merits of our positions and an end to ad hominem attacks and name calling against our supporters.

It is worth noting as well that J Street has the support of numerous Israeli security officials, foreign officers, politicians, writers, and artists. Click here for that list and to see a video featuring prominent Israeli supporters of J Street.

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Myth:
J Street’s funding comes from Arab-Americans, Muslim-Americans, representatives-of/lobbyists-for the Saudi government and/or other Arabs who, by their past statements, are clearly identified as anti-Israel.

Fact:
J Street has thousands of donors, large and small. We don’t know the religious or ethnic backgrounds of all of them, but we do know that they are primarily individual Jewish Americans.  J Street accepts no funding from foreign governments or from foreign organizations.

Even the original Jerusalem Post article on J Street’s funding, from which so many of the smear emails have sprung, said: “The funds that come from these sources [Arab and Muslim Americans] indeed constitute a small fraction of the year-and-a-half-old organization’s political fundraising, which totaled around $844,000 in 2008 – a key election year – and $111,000 so far in 2009. They comprise several dozen of the PAC’s 4,000-5,000 donors.”

You don’t have to take our word for it.  JStreetPAC, by law, reports all of its thousands of donors to the Federal Election Commission, and those reports can be publicly reviewed on the website of the Federal Election Commission.

J Street also listed the names of its major donors (members of its Finance Committee) in its annual reports.   Many of its major donors are also members of its Advisory Council, which can be viewed on our website.

Again, a quick review will show that nearly all our top donors are leading American Jewish philanthropists and political activists.

Yes, a tiny portion of J Street’s support comes from non-Jewish Americans (including some Arab- and some Muslim-Americans, as well as some Americans of other backgrounds).  J Street, in fact, welcomes support from all Americans who believe in assertive U.S. diplomacy to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East and the establishment of two states living side by side in peace and security.

As a primarily but not exclusively Jewish organization, J Street believes that support from non-Jews for our pro-Israel positions is actually extremely helpful to Israel – and helps ensure a long-term base of support for Israel’s security.

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Myth:
J Street opposes Israel’s right to defend itself with military force, as was illustrated by J Street’s opposition to Israeli military action against Hamas in Gaza.

Fact:
We support Israel’s right to defend itself militarily and believe that maintaining Israel’s qualitative military advantage in the region is one essential element of a strategy to keep Israel secure for the long term.

We also believe, however, that it is equally important to Israel’s long-term survival and security to achieve a negotiated, diplomatic two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to define internationally accepted borders for Israel, and to gain broader diplomatic acceptance of Israel in the Middle East.

We believed that Israel’s military action in Gaza was both understandable and justifiable. No country can be expected to absorb thousands of rockets without the right to respond militarily.

To us, the question was whether the specific military action actually advanced Israeli interests and security in the long-term and whether there weren’t alternative strategies for ending the violence from Gaza through negotiation.

When it comes to Operation Cast Lead, here is the actual statement that we put out (link):

While this morning’s air strikes by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza can be understood and even justified in the wake of recent rocket attacks, we believe that real friends of Israel recognize that escalating the conflict will prove counterproductive, igniting further anger in the region and damaging long-term prospects for peace and stability.

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 stand by that statement and believe that the ongoing blockade of Gaza and the consequent human suffering being experienced by the people of Gaza is not advancing Israel’s interests and is in fact sowing the seeds of further violence and devastation if there is no political resolution to the conflict in the near future.

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Myth:
J Street is critical only of Israel, never of the Palestinians and Arabs; J Street seeks concessions only from Israel, not from the other side.

Fact:
J Street has been very clear in every public statement that it believes that all sides – including Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states – will have to take steps and make compromises if the Arab-Israeli conflict is to be settled peacefully.

In supporting President Obama’s demand that Israel cease settlement expansion, J Street has also always called on the Palestinians to live up to their commitments to end incitement and violence, and on the Arab nations to take steps toward normalization of relations with Israel.

J Street has also been critical of Holocaust denial by Hamas and Iran, the use of the Durban II conference to promote anti-Semitism, and support for violence and incitement against Israel in the Arab world.

Here’s a list of recent J Street statements on the subject:

“J Street Condemns Jordanian Minister Mjali’s Call to Release Murderer,” February 17, 2011.
“J Street Condemns PA Official’s Denial of Jewish Connection to Western Wall,” November 27, 2010.
“J Street Condemns Iranian President Ahmadinejad,” September 23, 2010.
“J Street Urges All Sides to Refrain from Unilateral Action, Renounce Incitement as Direct Talks Begin,” August 31, 2010.
“J Street Strongly Condemns Palestinian Incitement,” April 9, 2010.
“J Street Condemns PA’s Honoring of Terrorist,” March 12, 2010.
“Statement on Israeli Interception of Arms Ship in Mediterranean,” November 5, 2009.
“J Street Denounces Iranian President,” September 23, 2010.
“J Street Condemns Hamas’ Holocaust Denial,” September 1, 2009.
“J Street Statement on Bat Ayin Terrorist Attack,” April 2, 2009.
“J Street Statement on Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem,” March 5, 2009.

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Myth:
Is it true that J Street U, your campus arm, has dropped the term pro-Israel?

Fact:
No. J Street U never did any such thing. J Street U is and will always be a pro-Israel organization.

J Street U is pro-Israel in a way that doesn’t have an anti. We are very cognizant that favoring a Palestinian state is a pro-Israel position – so we can be both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian.

When these erroneous press reports first came out, J Street U issued a number of statements reaffirming our commitment to being pro-Israel and our belief that the single most pro-Israel position on can take is a commitment to achieving a two-state solution in the near term. You can view them on our website here and here.

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Myth:
Right-wing bloggers continue to assert J Street is somehow “tied” to Saudi Arabia

Fact:
J Street receives no funding from any foreign government or agent – Arab or otherwise. J Street has no formal association with any other organizations – Arab or other.

Nearly all of J Street’s funding comes from Jewish Americans who seek peace and security for Israel and the whole Middle East. A small percentage of J Street’s funding comes from non-Jewish Americans who share our desire for peace and security for all people in the Middle East and support the right of the Jewish people to a secure and democratic home in Israel.

J Street believes the United States and Israel should explore the possibility of regional, comprehensive peace offered by the Arab League in what is commonly known as the Arab Peace Initiative. The Initiative was introduced originally by the Saudis and has received positive reaction from numerous high ranking Israeli officials (Israeli President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni, to name a few). The Initiative is not a comprehensive peace plan, rather it is an offer that should be explored not ignored. Necessary modifications (on the “Right of Return,” for example) should be made in context of a comprehensive, negotiated peace.

Some right-wing bloggers and opposition researchers engaged in a fear-and-smear campaign attempt to tarnish J Street because – among its thousands of donors are a small handful who have worked in some capacity with Arab countries or are themselves Arab Americans. We reject such tactics that, to our mind, are all but racist. We are proud of our cooperation with non-Jews – Christians and Muslims – who share our recognition that peace and long-term security will only come to the Middle East when Jews find common ground with Arabs – both Muslim and Christian – and a formula for sharing one land among two peoples through a two-state solution.

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Myth:
Liberal financier George Soros founded and is the primary funder of J Street.

Fact:
George Soros did not found J Street. In fact, George Soros very publicly stated his decision not to be engaged in J Street when it was launched – precisely out of fear that his involvement would be used against the organization.

J Street’s Executive Director stated many times that he would in fact be very pleased to have funding from Mr. Soros and the offer remained open to him to be a funder.

J Street has thousands of donors, large and small. The supporters of the political action committee (JStreetPAC) can be publicly reviewed on the website of the Federal Election Commission. The top donors to J Street are members of the organization’s Finance Committee – listed in its annual reports. Many of its major donors are also members of its Advisory Council.

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Myth:
J Street has said it doesn’t receive money from George Soros, but now news reports indicate that he has in fact contributed.

Fact:
J Street has always said that George Soros did not found J Street and did not provide its initial funding – a decision about which he was very public before the organization’s launching in 2008.

J Street has also always said that it would be very pleased to have funding from Mr. Soros. In fact, the organization has received approximately $250,000/year in funding from the Soros family since launching. We are not clear whether the Soros family will fund our work in the future, though we hope they will choose to do so.

Overall, the J Street family of organizations – its legally-independent PAC, the 501(c)(3) Education Fund and the (c)(4) lobby – has now raised approximately $11 million in just over two and a half years. The Soros family has contributed just over seven percent of the overall funding.

Our other largest sources of funding (all of roughly the same overall magnitude) are the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Skoll Global Threats Fund which have donated to the 501(c)(3) Education Fund, and donations that have been made or raised by William Benter. As we have publicly acknowledged before, the contributions that made it possible to launch J Street came from Alan and Deborah Sagner and Davidi Gilo.

Overall, we have over 10,000 donors to the various organizations, and are committed to the full disclosure of our donors required by the law. We are also committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, which is guaranteed by law in the case of contributions to our 501(c)(4) and was egregiously violated by the Internal Revenue Service in erroneously and illegally making our donor schedule available to the public.

For a full explanation, please see Jeremy Ben-Ami’s statement on our blog.

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Myth:
J Street is largely funded by a donor from Hong Kong.

Fact:
Some press reports have noted a large contribution on our 2009 tax return from a resident of Hong Kong named Consolacion Esdicul. The explanation for this is straightforward: Bill Benter, a philanthropist and political activist from Pittsburgh, is a major supporter of and contributor to J Street. He is a generous donor to a range of causes related to his hometown, national politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict, and a passionate advocate for peace.

As we were launching J Street, Bill committed to contribute and to help raise substantial funds for the effort should we get it off the ground. One contribution he helped raise was from Ms. Esdicul, a business associate from Hong Kong, where he lives for part of the year and has business holdings.

The Esdicul contribution represents a significant portion of the one tax filing that was leaked – and seems high when viewed in isolation – but it represents only a small percentage of the money raised by all aspects of J Street since it was launched.

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Myth:
J Street’s polling is compromised by the fact that its pollster Jim Gerstein served on its Board of Directors.

Fact:
J Street publicly releases the survey methodology, composition of the sample, and the full question wording for our polls of American Jews. This full disclosure and transparency reflects J Street’s commitment to opening up its research to professional scrutiny and is unparalleled among other organizations conducting public opinion research of American Jews.

Some who disagree with J Street’s views choose to attack the credibility of our pollster, rather than debate the merits of our opinions. But the fact that Jim Gerstein was a founding member of J Street’s Board of Directors doesn’t change the views of Jewish Americans on Israel.

Over the past few years, J Street’s opinion research has confirmed what surveys by other organizations have shown over the years: the majority of Jewish Americans hold moderate views when it comes to Israel and the Middle East.

A majority of Jewish Americans support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, oppose expanding settlements on the West Bank, and favor assertive American diplomacy to end the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. They supported Barack Obama for President by 78 percent over John McCain, and they have consistently been among the most progressive American voters on a whole range of foreign and domestic policy issues.

Gerstein’s views on Israel and the Middle East are no secret – nor is his involvement as a key and early founder of J Street.

He was the Executive Director of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation for many years. He lived in Israel in the late 1990s, where he was a member of Ehud Barak’s polling and communications team, and he currently serves as Vice President of the board of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center and on the board of Americans for Peace Now.

Much as John McCain and Barack Obama chose pollsters who shared their politics to guide them through the 2008 campaign, J Street chose Jim Gerstein to be its lead pollster and a key strategist precisely because he combines a pro-Israel, pro-peace perspective on issues relating to Israel and the Middle East with deep expertise in analyzing American politics.

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Myth:
J Street President and Founder Jeremy Ben-Ami is connected to work by his prior employer, Fenton Communications, for the Qatar Foundation and its “al-Fakhoora Project.”

Fact:
As stated in his bio on our website, Jeremy Ben-Ami was a Senior Vice President at Fenton Communications from late 2004 until the end of 2007, at which time he resigned to launch J Street.

Ben-Ami retained no connection to Fenton after he left the firm, had no involvement in its management and operations, and has had no financial interest in and has received no compensation from the firm since that time. J Street does not retain Fenton Communications and has had no formal or informal relationship with the firm.

The contract between Fenton Communications and the Qatar Foundation was entered into in early 2009, over a year after Ben-Ami left the firm. Ben-Ami is unaware of any contact between the firm and the Foundation during his employment at Fenton. Any contact between Fenton Communications and the Foundation occurred after he left – and without his knowledge. Ben-Ami has personally never met with or spoken to the Foundation or its representatives, and Ben-Ami has no knowledge of the Foundation or its work.

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Myth:
J Street defended President Obama’s choice of Mary Robinson to receive a Medal of Freedom.

Fact:
J Street never issued a single statement related to Mary Robinson.

Individuals associated with J Street’s public relations firm may have done some personal work on the issue – but that had nothing to do with J Street, just as the firm’s work for dozens of other clients is completely unrelated to J Street.

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Myth:
Far right-wing blogs have accused “J Street co-founder” of saying Israel’s creation was an “act that was wrong”

Fact:
Daniel Levy was part of the original group that conceived of J Street. He is currently a policy consultant to J Street. By way of background, he is Israeli and worked for the Israeli government as part of the team negotiating with the Palestinians in the period after Camp David in 2000-2001, including at Taba. Prior to that, he was a part of the negotiating team in the mid-90’s during his Israeli Defense Forces service, under Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin.

Daniel has been a life-long Zionist, having made aliyah at age 23 after having been elected president of the World Union of Jewish Students. He has worked passionately to secure Israel’s future through a two-state solution for nearly twenty years.

He believes that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires a recognition that a root of the conflict lies in the fact that the dream of the Jewish people for a home of their own was partially realized at the expense of Palestinians and led to the creation of a large Palestinian refugee community.

Daniel’s remarks have been misreported. In an answer to a question on a panel he appeared on in Doha, Qatar, Daniel argued in favor of progressive Zionism. He did not call Israel’s creation “an act that was wrong.” He believes that the events of the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem included acts that were wrong, but that could be excused for him by the particular and unique moment in Jewish history that we were living through in 1948:

“I believe that where Jewish history was in 1948 excused, for me – it was good enough for me – an act that was wrong.”

Daniel went on to say that he sees no reason why Palestinians would agree with his response to that history, “I don’t expect Palestinians to think that.” Daniel’s entire speech at that Forum, in which he asks hard and challenging questions of all sides while ultimately advocating for a coalition for ending the ’67 occupation, can be viewed here.

Right-wing blog claims that Daniel said that “Israel really ain’t a very good idea” are debunked here by Jonathan Chait:

The quote here is making the opposite of the point Kristol suggests. Levy is arguing that if his opponents’ premise is true, then Israel is not a good idea. He is making that point in order to discredit his opponents’ premise. This is a very common form of argumentation: if we believe A, then we must believe B, and since B is false, we shouldn’t believe A. For Kristol to site such an argument as evidence the speaker believes B is… completely unsurprising, actually.

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Myth:
J Street supports the UN Goldstone Report’s “war crimes” indictment against Israel. J Street facilitated Capitol Hill meetings for Judge Goldstone and, as a result, Colette Avital is no longer involved with J Street.

Fact:
Despite a false report in the right-wing Washington Times, J Street did not set up meetings for Judge Goldstone on Capitol Hill, as JTA reports. Former Israeli consul general Colette Avital remains actively involved with J Street and, in fact, joined J Street for a speaking tour this October 2010. Ambassador Avital’s statement on the false Washington Times report is available here.

J Street is opposed to one-sided and biased action at the United Nations based on the Goldstone Report and believe that the United States government should exercise its veto if the Security Council considers a resolution referring charges against Israel and Israelis to the International Criminal Court.

The United Nations and other international bodies such as the Human Rights Council have a demonstrable history of bias against Israel and have focused disproportionate attention on Israel at the expense of numerous other serious human rights crises around the globe.

We believe the best way for Israel to have dealt with the Report and to address charges of misconduct during Operation Cast Lead was to launch its own credible, independent investigation as it has at several critical points in its history. In this, we echo the position of many leading Israelis in and out of government, notably including Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, outgoing Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak. We also share the sense of many in Israel that problems cited with the Report could have been better addressed had Israel cooperated with the Commission in the first place.

We are opposed to efforts to personally demonize both Judge Goldstone and Israeli human rights advocates and their supporters. There is ample room in a vibrant democracy for disagreement over matters of principle without the need to resort to ad hominem attacks.

We urge those who oppose the report to confine their attacks and critiques to the substance and methodology of the Report and the appropriate measures that should and should not be taken going forward, and not the character of the people who created it or who have brought the violations to light.

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Myth:
J Street opposed congressional letters on the Gaza flotilla.

Fact:
J Street did not oppose the congressional letters about the flotilla incident but, rather, urged members of Congress to seek changes to the letters or write their own.

The sign-on letters circulated in the House and Senate, while expressing strong American support for Israel – a position we endorse – failed to address the impact of the 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. By ignoring these critical issues in favor of a simplistic statement that supports Israeli policy and actions, the letters served neither the best interests of the United States or of Israel.

The complete J Street letter to members of Congress is available here.

J Street’s full statement that was issued the day of the flotilla incident is available here.

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Myth:
J Street has worked with an “anti-Israel” UNRWA representative.

Fact:
J Street is proud to have sponsored a speaking tour featuring John Ging, the Gaza Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  Ging’s commitment to peace and human rights should be an example for all of us working to resolve the conflict.

During that tour, Ging was interviewed by the New York Jewish Week and reiterated his opposition to boycotts of Israel.

A recording of Ging’s remarks in Washington, DC is available here.

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Myth:
J Street supported the 2011 UN resolution on settlements.

Fact:
J Street urged the United States or Israel to prevent a UN Security Council vote on this resolution by clearly laying out a bold vision for peace or freezing Israeli settlements.

We do believe that Israel has been unfairly singled out at the UN and never hope to see Israel publicly taken to task in that forum. However, we argued that — if the resolution came to a vote — it would undermine America’s credibility and policy to veto a resolution that so closely tracked US policy across eight bipartisan administrations and called on both parties to take necessary steps for peace.

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Myth:
J Street’s use of the PR firm its President owned in the late 1990s represents a conflict of interest.

Fact:
Jeremy Ben-Ami co-founded Ben-Or Communications in 1998 and left the company at the end of 1999. For eleven years since moving from Israel back to the United States, Ben-Ami has had no involvement in management or operation of the business, and in that time he has never received one penny from the company.

The company is a small business, which pays no dividends and whose shares have no market value.

J Street, along with scores of other leading non-profits working toward peace and democracy in Israel, is pleased to use Ben-Or Communications, a leader in the field of public interest communications in Israel.

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Myth:
The 2011 J Street conference endorsed the views of its speakers, including one who supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Fact:
J Street very clearly opposes the global BDS movement and believes that actions that target the state of Israel or its people are inappropriate tools for trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our full policy positions are available here.

We believe that it serves the long-term health and vibrancy of our community to engage on the substance of these issues, even – and especially – when we have fundamental disagreements with some of the individuals or organizations we debate. Closing the door to an open, robust conversation only drives away many of those our community seeks to engage, especially when it comes to younger Jews.

It is for those reasons that we were proud to have speakers at our conference to the left and to the right of J Street’s own positions.

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Myth:
J Street represents Kadima or any other Israeli political party in the US.

Fact:
J Street is an American organization that works within American politics to advocate for bold, U.S. leadership to achieve two states and a regional comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We do not represent or affiliate with any Israeli political party.

We are happy to engage with any Israeli leaders about the importance of a strong relationship with Israel and the American Jewish community. We represent a very large and growing segment of the American Jewish community, and believe that Israeli leaders’ engagement with this constituency is crucial to the health of Israel’s relationship with the Diaspora and to ensuring a long-term base of support for Israel in the United States.