Last time Israel launched a defensive war in Gaza, J Street called for superpower intervention to restrain the IDF. The position put the ostensibly “pro-Israel” organization firmly on the other side of the Israeli government and three-fourths of the Israeli public, and at least in tension with the Palestinian Authority’s “it’s Hamas’s fault” position. But they’re still “pro-Israel” because their parents told them they could be anything they want when they grow up.
This time around, J Street partisans have settled on a less robust advocacy, mostly contenting themselves with catechisms about how “the majority of… Palestinians recognize that a two-state solution is the only means to achieve true peace and security.”
Still, two problems.
First, multiple different polls with multiple different questions have confirmed that of course it’s not the case the majority of Palestinians embrace a two-state solution. Wishing doesn’t make it so. Second, J Street tried to stack even their minimal advocacy with an outrageous lie about anti-Palestinian Israeli atrocities. Via blogger Challah Hu Akbar, who caught the smear almost immediately:
J Street has released a statement on the recent rocket attacks against Israel’s southern communities and the IDF response. In this statement, J Street says… “Israel Defense Forces… have killed over a dozen Palestinian civilians.” This is an utter lie. Prior to Sunday, Israel had successfully killed 16 terrorists, who were either active in the Popular Resistance Committees or Islamic Jihad, and no civilians. Unfortunately, two civilians were killed on Sunday.
Challah then went on to list each and every terrorist who had been killed, complete with pictures and links to most of their online martyr bios. Martyr bios. While genocidal Palestinian groups were glorifying their cretins’ battlefield demise, J Street was calling those terrorists civilians. Apparently, they’re so incompetent they can’t even toe the Palestinian line correctly.
In fairness, J Street later deleted their false smear. But that hasn’t stopped Israeli outlets from painstakingly cataloging how everyone except the organization seemed to know the dead terrorists were in fact dead terrorists (the notable exception being EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who also seemingly didn’t know). And it hasn’t stopped Israeli MK Otniel Schneller from blasting the group:
“At a time when a million Israeli citizens have been living in bomb shelters for four days and four nights, have not gone to school or work and anxiously await the next siren, the terrorists firing on them are getting encouragement and support, not just from Iran and Hezbollah, but also from the left-wing Jewish American organization J Street,” Schneller said in the Knesset plenum on Tuesday. “The anti-Israel and anti-ethical statement of J Street should serve as a warning for Israeli politicians and left-wing activists, including members of my party, against supporting and identifying with J Street, as they have done in the past,” he added.
Schneller, by the by, turns out to be a Kadima MK. The forecast for former PM Ehud Olmert’s keynote at J Street’s upcoming conference is getting awfully frosty.
Is there any way to legally prosecute J-Street for lying about its intentions when its main sources of funding are Saudi Arabia and Iran? There's got to be some legitimate benefit in legally compelling them to stop claiming they are 'pro Israel' or at the least fining them in civil court for misrepresenting themselves just as if the KKK suddenly demanded to be regarded as speaking for the same interests as the NAACP.
Quote: "But they’re still “pro-Israel” because their parents told them they could be anything they want when they grow up." n nBest thing I've read today. Priceless…and so true. Thanks for the laugh.
yes, I agree. I loved that line.
It's time: boot JStreet out of respectable discourse in the Jewish community. How long do we have to put up with the sinister farce of JStreet again being caught lying and mis-representing the Jewish community and having to be spanked? n nWe made a terrible collective mistake in the 90s to give far-left organizations a "place at the table," so to speak. JStreet is a throwback to the discredited Oslo "peace process" and seems to be mainly a nostalgia trip for its followers, complete with politically correct "happy thoughts," like something out of the Popular Front era. Israelis have every reason to be angry about an organization that routinely lies about the Middle East and about itself, and speaks for almost no Israelis, not to speak of most American Jews. n nBesides being forced to listen to years of propaganda of how these organizations are both "pro-peace AND pro-Israel" (as if the rest of us aren't), we've allowed the organized community to get far too comfortable with a creepy front group made up of delusional ultra-left Boomers and their spoiled, expensively brainwashed kids. n nIs it really all just about ultra-wealthy, far-left donors and their money? Are there no standards at the top of our communal organizations? n nP.S. And how about doing something regarding that other sinister development, the increasing influence in the US of Persian Gulf religious fanatics and their oil $$ ?
ajfneri – Would you also have us weep for the Gestapo & SS personnel killed in battle, hung by the Nurnberg Tribunal, or assassinated by members of HM Jewish Brigade?r nThey too were human beings (like your Arab terrorist friends, “human” only in the broadest possible sense) who left behind families that loved them dearly. You may weep for them if you wish. Terrorists are a curse and a plague on humanity. Like any disease, the only cure is the complete extermination of the disease organism. May it happen soon.
JStreet's perfidy and willingness to fabricate libels against Israel fits in perfectly with President Obama's personal and political antagonism towards the Jewish State. nAnd by the way, JStreet knew from the beginning that their statement regarding Palestinian casualties was false and was intentionally tendentious. That is, unless the JStreet gang is made up of complete morons.
Israel will lose support at some point with many who are just tired of hearing about their never ending belly aching about this one is not doing enough for us or that one said the wrong thing and hurt our feelings on and on. Israel is afraid they will be destroyed and the Palestians are afraid they will be destroyed, but no one is willing to do what it takes to solve the problems. Who cares if the dead are civilians or terrorists. They are dead people who left behind families who loved them dearly. When Israelis are killed who cares what their rank or political affiliation was. They are dead people who left behind families who loved them dearly.
Grow up, thousands of Israelis have been killed by terrorist attacks. Every Israeli has a loved one who's been killed by Arabs. It's not belly aching. n nIf one of your loved ones were killed, and you announced it to the world, would that be belly aching? Get real. n nEnough with this moral relativism.
We Jews permit ourselves degrees of intolerance towards each other that we would never exhibit toward others outside our community. The settings are numerous – theology, Halacha, denominations, politics and more. n nBut nowhere are the vehemence and the inability to actually listen to those with whom we disagree more pronounced than with regard to the State of Israel. n nQuote from Daniel Gordis (with permission)
Today I got an e-mail invitation from AIPAC inviting me to contribute. While I am not a Jewish-American, I DO support Israel, have always admired the plucky democratic state surrounded by hostile racist? populations. AIPAC is not my only source for Israel's issues. I read the Jerusalem Post at least once a week. Also check out free speech by high IQ Jewish Americans, NY's David Horowitz, California's Roger L. Simon etc. n n Is American media biased in its presentation of the midle east? I don't know, but I try to collect information from reasonable sources so I can decide for myself. n n I am acquainted with a few elderly Arab "refugees" from the 1948 war because of living in an Arab neighborhood in Brooklyn recently The few Arabs who speak English well enough to exchange views at the bodega (which sells "bootleg" non-taxed cigarettes), are quite willing to say what THEY believe is the truth. I was shocked, but silent, as I was a minority in THEIR neighborhood. n nToday I e-mailed AIPAC back with this question: "Does AIPAC support Israel? You may think this is a ridiculous question, but consider my doubt. AIPAC just feted America's current president. Good politics, of course. Very American. n nBut, Is there a more apathetic elected leader than Barack Obama in the past 50 years of western life (regarding Israel)? Is he EVER going to visit Israel, like his predecessors? n n American Jews seem to believe that regardless of who they vote for, no American president will abandon Israel. That has been true up to now. Will this be true same time next year? n nAmerican Jews seem to believe that regardless of who they vote for, no American president will abandon Israel. That has been true up to now. Will this be true same time next year? n nBelieve me, the Arabs in Brooklyn are VERY good Democrats. VERY large families. Lots of future Democratic voters. Ladies in burkas purchase groceries with food stamps. A family of 6 gets about $9600 a year, tax free. NY Medicaid. free doctors, hospitals, drugs, etc. I lived there. Section 8 vouchers. Satellite dishes on my buildings roofs, surrounded by more on the buildings on the blocks. No English spoken at home, Mom imported as a bride at age 17 from some village without schools. n n You get the picture. I lived there. n n
Today I got an e-mail invitation from AIPAC inviting me to contribute. While I am not a Jewish-American, I DO support Israel, have always admired the plucky democratic state surrounded by hostile racist? populations. AIPAC is not my only source for Israel's issues. I read the Jerusalem Post at least once a week. Also check out free speech by high IQ Jewish Americans, NY's David Horowitz, California's Roger L. Simon etc.
Yes, I see you don't want to post anything relating to Arabs. Politically-correct editing by Commentary? Well, I guess you are hiding from your enemies. Maybe I would too.
Well ajfneri, if those Palestinian terrorists had not participated in attacks against Israel, they would still be with their loving families. Please remember that!
it's good to know that J Street is finally being seen for the nudniks they are. one day soon, I hope, we will hear that J Street is closing up shop due to lack of funding. (wasn't this the organization that received most of its money from Soros?) n nit won't be missed.
George Soros is like a cancer, spreading his poison over the body politic of America. J Street, Move On, Occupy Wall Street–his money is behind these nefarious leftwing organizations which at their heart are anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and anti-American. n nThe most despicable thing is that the Obama Administration has given credence to J Street and its destructive ideas. The sooner that both O and J are removed from positions of power, the better for us all.
and the new president of the Reform movement is a former leader of what group ? was it "N " street "D" street , "F" street ? oh silly me I forgot it was 'j " street. He did this when he was not working for the NIF . We wonder why American Jews have diminished support for Israel -look to synagogue leadership , or lack thereof as one of the answers n npaul morton npgmorton@mortongroup.net