Recent Blogs

• Appreciating President George H.W. Bush’s Contributions to Diplomacy in the Middle East

  George H.W. Bush was one of the great foreign policy leaders of the 20th century. Anyone who cares about Israel and Middle East peace owes him a debt of gratitude.

• The Two-Way Street: Entering Kislev, A Bright Light in the Darkness

  Earlier this week, a bright light shone through the recent darkness. We celebrated an electoral breakthrough as talented leaders who boldly oppose anti-Semitic rhetoric, hate and warmongering won across our nation. And yet, we cannot forget what else is happening in our country. Violence and hatred are exploding in many directions, and despair can seem like a rational response. In today’s America, bombs arrive at the doorsteps of former presidents and current office-holders, and the President worries only about the implications for his political prospects. Anti-Semites are empowered to spew their rhetorical venom and, unbearably, to take the lives of dear souls in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Racist language and imagery is increasingly accessible in public discourse. Democratic institutions, norms of decency, core principles of Jewish ethics and truth itself are all under attack in today’s America. The successes we saw in the midterms this week provided some much needed rays of hope, but the road ahead remains long and challenging.

• Bringing Home the Win

  As long as my family has lived in Dallas, I’ve felt unrepresented and unheard in Washington, both by our Representative and our two Senators. It is thrilling to be on the cusp of a moment when that could all change.

• Note from a political frontline

  Greetings from Bangor, Maine, where the New England fall is at its magnificent height and where the temperatures are falling but the political heat index is red hot. I’m spending the week volunteering to help elect Jared Golden, a Democrat endorsed by J Street fighting to win Maine’s Second Congressional District from Republican incumbent Bruce Poliquin.

Israeli Operation Against Hezbollah Tunnels Enters Its Explosive Stage, Haaretz

Amos Harel reports, “The army’s activity on the Lebanese border, which was initially described with some disparagement as a defensive engineering operation of negligible importance, is now reaching a more sensitive stage. After several days of confusion, it is clear that the Lebanese government has begun to formulate a response to the Israeli move….When both sides are viewing each other from relatively close range, each equipped with weapons aimed at the other side of the border, as UNIFIL soldiers try to serve as a buffer between the Israelis and the Lebanese (with Hezbollah members presumably watching closely), it’s a recipe for a possible eruption. The IDF will have to manage the work with extreme precision and caution so as not to spark an unwanted incident. Everyone’s nerves are tense enough; all it would take is one antsy Lebanese soldier to spark a fire that will be hard to extinguish.”

Keeping Democrats united on Israel, The Hill

Robert Wexler writes, “Since Democrats won the House last month, too much drama has been made over its implications for Israel. There is certainly more diversity in the Democratic Caucus now, reflecting the diversity of opinion throughout the U.S. — ranging between those who hold Israeli security as paramount, and those who emphasize Palestinian rights. But, these dynamics are not new, nor are they even in conflict. Democrats should now unite behind what’s best for both peoples, policies that preserve and advance a negotiated two-state solution — the only outcome which can ensure security for a Jewish and democratic Israel, and justice and dignity for Palestinians in a sovereign state of their own.”