Tell Malcolm Hoenlein: Denounce settler pogroms

Prime Minister Olmert's description of the recent violent riot of Jewish settlers through Palestinian areas of the West Bank city of Hebron as a "pogrom" [1] is both powerful and disturbing.

While many American Jewish organizations denounced the extremist settlers' actions - there was one notable omission: the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the self-proclaimed "central coordinating body for American Jewry." [2]

Despite public calls for a statement on the settlers' actions, the Conference, and its leader Malcolm Hoenlein, have refused. It's time to make our voices heard, particularly with other provocative settler actions and marches in the works.

Click here to demand that the Conference of Presidents condemn the violent settler riots in Hebron.

Tell Obama's team: Make Middle East diplomacy a priority

President-elect Barack Obama has just introduced his new foreign policy team and reiterated his determination to chart a new course for American foreign policy, with diplomacy front and center. 

The new administration inherits numerous challenges all across the globe - not least in the Middle East. A critical task facing the President-elect's new team will be deciding quickly where to focus limited time and energy.

Resolving the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts should be at the top of the list. There is no better way to put the President-elect's vision of new American leadership into action while repairing our image in the world than to engage early and actively in Middle East diplomacy.

Will you write to President-elect Obama's incoming national security team right now asking them to prioritize efforts to bring about a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace?

Click here to send a message to Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, General Jim Jones, Susan Rice, and the rest of Obama's national security team.

American Jews support Obama with 78% of vote

The verdict is in on the politics of fear when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. It didn't work.

The overwhelming majority of American Jews chose hope yesterday, giving Barack Obama 78% of the Jewish vote, well ahead of John Kerry's 2004 total.  [1]

This is more than an historic electoral victory.  It is our chance to deal a knock-out blow to the politics of fear when it comes to Israel and the Middle East.

That's why we're collecting signatures on a letter to President-elect Obama to demonstrate the breadth of his mandate in our community for far-reaching change. Click here to tell President-elect Obama you chose hope over fear.

To amplify our message, we ran a full-page ad in The New York Times stating that this election carries a promise of change in America and of hope, peace and security for Israel and the Middle East. Click here to view the ad and sign our letter.

Stop Jewish Republican Obama smear campaign

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) just launched a new disturbing attack ad. This one reads, "Barack Obama's Friends: Pro-Palestinian. Anti-Israel. Hostile to America."

It's just the latest in a series of revolting, Swift Boat-style attacks from the RJC in the Jewish media in the past month.

Publications serving the Jewish community should stop running RJC attack ads filled simply with lies and distortions. Will you sign the petition to stop the RJC's fear mongering and hate peddling?

Click here to sign our "No More Republican Jewish Coalition Smears" petition.

Statement by Jeremy Ben-Ami in response to Israeli Ground Invasion of Gaza

J Street reiterates its call for strong and immediate American diplomatic leadership to bring an end to the violence through an immediate ceasefire.

J Street unequivocally condemns Hamas’ indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel and its use of terror against civilians over the years.

We reiterate that J Street is deeply committed to Israel, its security and the safety of its citizens.

However, as Americans and as friends and supporters of Israel, we do not believe the continuation of the present military operation is in the best interests of either the United States or Israel.  Rallies and protests in Iraq and Afghanistan in opposition to the Gaza now bring the conflict squarely into arenas where American troops are actively deployed.  Demonstrations throughout the Middle East and the Muslim world indicate that this week’s events are only further damaging America’s image, interests and relationships around the world. Read the rest of J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami's statement here.

Click here to sign our petition calling strong U.S. leadership to bring about an immediate ceasefire, read our policy FAQ about the ongoing conflict, and find out what else you can do. 

We Won! Palin Not Speaking at Iran Rally

We collected over 20,000 signatures in 24 hours asking Iran Unity rally organizer Malcolm Hoenlein to take Sarah Palin off the schedule for Monday's rally, and he caved to our pressure on Thursday afternoon citing the fact that the rally had become too partisan.

This is the right decision.  A unity rally to express communal solidarity is no place for partisan politics.  And to give such prominence to Sarah Palin alone would have spoken neither to, nor for, the American Jewish community.

This is a victory not just for the 20,188 others who signed J Street's petition.  It's a victory for the broader community.  And we're pleased the rally's organizers came to their senses so quickly.

Victories like these don't come easily - or often. But when they do, we should savor them, at least briefly.

We'll be back at it tomorrow, because our next task is making sure that the messages at the rally reflect the view of a majority of Americans - Jewish and otherwise - that the best way to deal with Iran is through tough, smart diplomacy - not saber rattling and threats of force.

Does John McCain support a two-state solution?

For the last decade, the United States has supported resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a negotiated agreement leading to two states living side by side in peace and security.

Does John McCain support the two-state solution? As of this moment, we honestly don't know.

Not once during this campaign season have we been able to find John McCain committing to supporting, let alone promoting, a two-state solution.  For a guy who's running for President based on his reputation for straight talk and foreign policy credentials, the lack of a clear answer to this straightforward question is even more surprising.

As John McCain accepts the Republican nomination for President this week, we're asking him to clarify his position. Will you help us get a straight answer? Click here to demand straight talk from John McCain on his support for Israel and the two-state solution.

Tell John McCain: Smearing Diplomats Isn't Straight Talk, It's Dirty Politics

John McCain's campaign and the right-wing smear machine has set their sights on former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Obama adviser Daniel Kurtzer. His sin? Encouraging Syria to accelerate peace negotiations with Israel.

Apparently, to the McCain campaign, visiting Damascus and talking about peace with Syrians is just shy of treason. Said McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb cynically: "If one of Senator Obama's advisers has been to Damascus, we just wonder how many have been to Tehran." [1]

Since when is talking to people with whom we have conflicts a political crime? Click here to ask Senator McCain to disavow smears against Ambassador Kurtzer and to support Israeli-Syrian negotiations.

Tell Secretary Rice: Israel Must Stop Settlement Activity

Despite repeated promises to the United States to freeze settlement expansion, the Israeli government has just approved more new settlement construction on the West Bank. Click here to tell Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ask the Israeli government to halt settlement construction.

Now is our moment on Iran

All summer, Congress has been on the verge of supporting a provocative and dangerous naval blockade of Iran. Quick approval had been expected, but thankfully, some of our friends in Congress put on the brakes.

The House leadership now has the real power to stop Congress from supporting this escalation with Iran. Now's the moment for us to speak up. Click here to sign our new letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders.