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Jews on J Street

A new liberal Washington lobby comes of age at its first annual conference.

By Ralph Seliger

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 18-month old liberal “pro-Israel, pro-peace” Washington lobby, J Street, went into its first annual conference with huge momentum and a major news spotlight that only grew with the event itself. Expecting 1000 participants, its venues overflowed at Washington’s Grand Hyatt Hotel with an announced total of 1,500 registrants. Most sessions were mobbed; this reporter was closed out of one… return to article

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    While J Street is certainly evidence that Jewish elements of the Israel Lobby are not monolithic, it was more than a little disconcerting that J Street’s first significant act since “coming of age” was to SUPPORT the shameful House Resolution condemning the Goldstone Report on Gaza, and implicitly Judge Goldstone himself.  See: 

    http://www.jstreet.org/blog/?p=702

    “Even as the U.N. was about to consider the report, the House measure called it “irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy.”  And it urged the Obama Administration to “strongly and unequivocally oppose” any discussion of it at the UN.  This reflexive attitude that Israel can do no wrong is morally bankrupt and exceedingly unhelpful in resolving, in a just manner, the conflict between Israel and Palestinians.”

    This quote is from an excellent article by Matthew Rothschild in the Progressive entitled “House Shames Itself on Goldstone Report.”  For the full article, and the powerful statement of Rep. Dennis Kucinich denouncing the vote on the House Floor, See:

    http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/04-13

    The Goldstone Report and the House resolution shamefully attacking it were not just academic exercises.  They were about meaningful accountability for possible war crimes.  “Nuanced” is not the word that should come to mind when addressing what Judge Goldstone said happened in Gaza.  It is the lack of any meaningful accountability for crimes committed against the Palestinians all these years that has created a mindset in some Israelis that killing Palestinians is no worse than killing “ants” (actual quote from an IDF soldier in Gaza).  See:

    http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4747/aiding_and_abetting_war_crimes/
     
    History has demonstrated that covering for such atrocities is not a recipe for encouraging good behavior, but instead will further contribute to the beastial mindset exhibited by the IDF regarding Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza.  J Street’s support of the House Resolution, and its belief that Israel can or will meaningfully investigate and/or punish war crimes, is not only not borne out by past practice, but is actually counter-productive to finding a just solution to the conflict.

    Other disagreements notwithstanding, one would think that at least on the issue of possible war crimes accountability, the “liberal, pro-peace” J Street would have opposed this House Resolution (or at least abstained).  Here then, as I’ve said before, is more proof that neither the U.S. government, nor the so-called Zionist “left,” will be the ones that take the lead in bringing about a change in Israeli behavior, and that it will take meaningful and aggressive boycott efforts like BDS to do so.

    United States Posted by Imran on Nov 18, 2009 at 2:45 PM

    Imran’s link to J Street’s site does not support the position that he claims. It supports an independent Israeli investigation (as called for by Goldstone himself). Independent commissions have been quite harsh with Israeli government actions before, as when one such investigation forced the resignation of Ariel Sharon as defense minister in the wake of the Sabra and Shatilla massacres. This is from the text of J Street’s statement on that link that Imran provides:

    ... We are urging thoughtful amendment of the Resolution before passage to bring it in line with the principles we articulate in our statement on the legislation.

      J Street would support and urges passage of a balanced, thoughtful Congressional resolution urging strong US opposition against biased, one-sided actions regarding the Goldstone Report and the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

      J Street also echoes the call of many Israelis - including Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, MKs Nachman Shai and Michael Eitan, and others - for an independent Israeli investigation into the allegations in the Goldstone Report.  Only by undertaking an independent and credible investigation can Israel ensure that these matters are not left in the hands of international bodies that have traditionally demonstrated their bias against Israel.

    United States Posted by rseliger on Nov 20, 2009 at 9:24 AM

    The site states the official position of J Street as:

    “J Street supports passage of a resolution by the U.S. Congress calling for the United States to oppose and work actively to defeat one-sided and biased action in the United Nations when it comes to Israel and the Goldstone Report.”

    Despite the equivocation quoted at length by rseliger from their site, J Street SUPPORTED this shameful resolution, and has rightfully earned the criticism it is receiving from the progressive community.  Regarding such equivocation, I said:

    “J Street’s support of the House Resolution, and its belief that Israel can or will MEANINGFULLY investigate and/or punish war crimes, is not only not borne out by past practice, but is actually counter-productive to finding a just solution to the conflict [emphasis added].”

    For example, on Gaza, “the IDF carried out five of its own investigations, concluding that it ‘operated in accordance with international law’ and that the small number of questionable incidents that did occur were ‘unavoidable and occur in all combat situations.’  HRW deems these investigations ‘not credible’ and has called on the Israeli government to cooperate with a comprehensive UN investigation led by the former chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Richard Goldstone.  Thus far, Israel has opted not to participate.”  For the full article by Frida Berrigan on this website, see:

    http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4747/aiding_and_abetting_war_crimes/

    History has demonstrated that there exists neither the will nor desire to MEANINGFULLY investigate such crimes by Israel.  Most Israeli leaders have made it abundantly clear (now and in the past) that that there will never be anything more than show-investigations regarding possible war crimes, and in those egregious instances that simply cannot be covered up, there will be nothing more than wrist-slapping handed out as punishment (rseliger’s Ariel Sharon example ironically being the perfect example here, of a man being forced to “resign” as “punishment,” only to later become Prime Minister in 2001 - man, they’re tough on war crimes in Israel).  J Street’s belief that this will somehow magically change after 50 years is either hopelessly misguided, or a cynical ploy to derail the first credible possibility of meaningful accountability for war crimes in decades. 

    This commonly accepted belief, that there has been a complete LACK of any meaningful accountability, is shared by Judge Goldstone himself:

    “A culture of impunity in the region has existed for too long,” Goldstone told the UNHCR when presenting his report.  “The lack of accountability for war crimes and possible war crimes against humanity has reached a crisis point.”

    http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/08-5

    Knowing this past Israeli modus-operandi, as well as the meaningless punishments handed out by “independent Israeli investigations” (evidenced by what “happened” to Ariel Sharon, and a continuing belief by Israeli leaders and the IDF that they can continue to act with impunity), J Street’s support of this House Resolution (along with its meaningless equivocation about supporting such “independent Israeli investigations”), is disconcerting at best. 

    It demonstrates, in my opinion, that the so-called Zionist “left” will not be the ones taking the lead in changing Israeli behavior, but will instead continue to act as its protector and enabler.  Changing such behavior, which is the first step toward a just and lasting peace, will instead require meaningful international investigations and/or prosecutions for possible war crimes.  As stated earlier,, and implicitly recognized even by J Street itself (see last sentence of J Street’s equivocation), it should be noted that Israel has invited this upon itself with its steadfast refusal to conduct such credible or meaningful investigations in the past.

    United States Posted by Imran on Nov 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM

    J Street’s equivocation on this fundamental issue of war crimes in Gaza has made it the subject of much criticism on the net, but the best one is an acticle entitled “J Street Opposes, Then [Sorta] Supports Congressional Attack on Goldstone.”  The quote that stands out is:

    “...when people began calling them [J Street] saying that it appeared J Street was calling for a ‘No’ vote on HR 867, the group released the following ‘clarification:’

    J Street supports passage of a resolution by the U.S. Congress calling for the United States to oppose and work actively to defeat one-sided and biased action in the United Nations when it comes to Israel and the Goldstone Report.  We are not urging members of Congress to oppose H. Res. 867.  We are urging thoughtful amendment of the Resolution before passage to bring it in line with the principles we articulate…

    Though this statement does support an independent Israeli investigation of Cast Lead (which is also what Goldstone calls for) the comment saying the group doesn’t oppose a yes vote disappoints.”

    For the full article, see:

    http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/10/30/j-street-supports-hou use-attack-on-goldstone/

    If J Street feels that it must equivocate, or be “nuanced’ about international investigations regarding war crimes (believing that Israel can or will now magically start to meaningfully investigate itself, after all these years of failing to do so), then it is respectfully submitted that it more a hinderance to, than an advocate of, a just and lasting peace.

    United States Posted by Imran on Nov 20, 2009 at 3:24 PM
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