Our first round of candidate endorsements

June 16, 2008

We are proud to announce JStreetPAC’s first round of candidate endorsements. The candidates are Donna Edwards (Candidate, MD-04), Debbie Halvorson (Candidate, IL-11), Rep. Charles Boustany (LA-07), Darcy Burner (Candidate, WA-08), Rep. Stephen Cohen (TN-09), Dennis Shulman (Candidate, NJ-05) and Mary Jo Kilroy (Candidate, OH-15). Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), one of our endorsed candidates, recorded the following video message to JStreetPAC supporters.
JStreetPAC endorsed fresh faces – junior members of Congress, challengers and competitors for open seats – whose public records and campaign platforms are in line with the PAC’s positions on the issues. The diverse group includes a rabbi, an African American community leader, a freshman Jewish member of Congress and a Lebanese-American, among others.

Today’s endorsements are truly ‘firsts.’ Never before have candidates received tangible political support for agreeing that pursuing both a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and aggressive diplomacy to solve political conflicts in the Middle East should be central to American foreign policy.

JStreetPAC’s endorsements aim to open up much-needed political space needed for honest discussion of American foreign policy and for debate over what policies are in fact in the best interests of both the United States and of Israel.

For too long, the only voice representing “pro-Israel” Americans have come from the far right. Meanwhile, a majority of American Jews and their friends opposed war in Iraq, are against a pre-emptive military strike against Iran and favor a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. JStreetPAC’s endorsements represent a significant step in making it clear to candidates that the
single most pro-Israel thing they can do is help to bring about a
two-state solution and a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel
and her neighbors.