More in ‘J Street’

Last week’s construction announcement in Israel has rippled through a political system halfway across the world. While most Republicans and many Democrats have criticized the administration, some have backed it and turned their criticism toward Israel. Anyway, the Obama administration has its uses for that criticism, too: it may just help buttress its credibility in ...

Where does Israel’s announcement of 1,600 new Israeli homes in East Jerusalem leave the United States? Where does it leave American Jews? America put immense pressure on both sides to agree to “proximity talks”—which center around its envoy, George Mitchell—even though neither side’s preconditions had been met; and soon after the U.S. vice president arrives ...

In a Boston Globe column, Jesse Singal articulates the notion that some American Jews may have drifted away from strong support for Israel, or its policies—but not in ways that doom the Democratic Party to shed Jewish voters, or that doom Israel to declining baseline American support.
The premise of the piece—titled “The New American ...

• Several universities around the world are marking “Israel Apartheid Week,” advocating for divestments, boycotts, and sanctions. I have read both the Anti-Defamation League and J Street condemn the comparison of Israel to South Africa, and accuse organizers of attempting to de-legitimize Israel’s existence. [Haaretz]
• The Israeli Embassy in Madrid has of late received letters ...

• Columnist Bradley Burston has an enraged must-read:
What the far-left from Britain to Berkeley has been been unable to bring off—a sense among Israel’s allies that Israel has become a heartless, morally heedless aggressor state worthy of sanction and shunning—the far-right in Israel’s own government, and in particular, its Foreign Ministry, seems determined to inculcate ...

• The five U.S. congressmen in J Street’s Mideast delegation were “puzzled” by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon’s refusal to meet with them, and his labeling J Street as not “pro-Israeli”. (But why would they expect a diplomat to have good people skills?) [Haaretz]
• The Israeli government launched a new P.R. campaign designed to empower ...

• Numerous ultra-Orthodox rabbis have asked Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to stay the execution of convicted murderer (and religious Jew) Martin Grossman on the grounds that he is mentally challenged and has been a model, remorseful prisoner. As of this publication, however, Grossman is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection in roughly ...

It’s worth pausing again to digest the treatment Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren received during a speech he gave Monday at the University of California, Irvine. He was interrupted multiple times, reportedly by members of the university’s Muslim Student Union, with shouts of “Killers!” “How many Palestinians did you kill?” and “Propagating ...

• Two of the most high-profile mixed political couples all dined together in Manhattan: Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-New York) and fiancée Huma Abedin, and Chelsea Clinton and fiancé (and tastefully named) Marc Mezvinsky. Abedin is an aide to Clinton’s mother. [Page Six]
• Israel clarified that it will not reopen a crossing between it and Gaza ...

Syrian President (which is to say, dictator) Bashar Assad has some thoughts on Israel for investigative journalist extraordinaire Seymour Hersh. The clearest stand he takes is that there will be no peace until Syria gets the Golan Heights back: “Peace treaty is what you sign, but peace is when you have normal relations,” he explains. ...