Today, J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:

As the Goldstone Report returns to the agenda of the United Nations, J Street remains opposed to one-sided and biased action at the United Nations based on the Report. Specifically, we reiterate our position that the United States government should exercise its veto if the Security Council considers a resolution referring charges against Israel and Israelis to the International Criminal Court.

The United Nations and other international bodies such as the Human Rights Council have a demonstrable history of bias against Israel and have focused disproportionate attention on Israel at the expense of numerous other serious human rights crises around the globe.

We believe the best way for Israel to deal with the Report and to address charges of misconduct during Operation Cast Lead is to launch its own credible, independent investigation as it has at several critical points in its history. In this, we echo the position of many leading Israelis in and out of government, notably including Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, outgoing Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak. We also share the sense of many in Israel that problems cited with the Report could have been better addressed had Israel cooperated with the Commission in the first place.

In recent days, we have also witnessed renewed attacks and campaigns that personally demonize both Judge Goldstone and Israeli human rights advocates and their supporters. There is ample room in a vibrant democracy for disagreement over matters of principle without the need to resort to ad hominem attacks. Civil and human rights activists are vital to the health and vibrancy of a democracy. They deserve far better than to have to endure shameful mudslinging and name-calling.

We urge those who oppose the report to confine their attacks and critiques to the substance and methodology of the Report and the appropriate measures that should and should not be taken going forward, and not the character of the people who created it or who have brought the violations to light.

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Today, J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:

J Street applauds Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s rejection of an arrest warrant issued for Israeli Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni in Great Britain, as well as his promise to pursue a change in the law that would prevent unfortunate events like these from happening in the future.

The principle of diplomatic immunity allows world leaders to travel to negotiate in good faith on issues affecting their countries’ core national interests and must be protected from politically-motivated abuse.

While J Street may have had disagreements with the Israeli government over the strategic choice it made to launch Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last year, we have always stated our support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terror and extremism. We oppose efforts to abuse the international legal system to prevent Israel from exercising that fundamental right.

Kadima leader Tzipi Livni has tirelessly advocated for a two-state solution because she believes it is a core Israeli interest to achieve such a resolution to this decades-old conflict. Her advocacy for a two-state solution inside Israel should be applauded, not attacked. The time has come for both President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu to set aside talk of preconditions and other reasons not to proceed with negotiations and get down to the hard work of resolving the tough issues at the heart of the conflict. Achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the only way to ensure Israel’s long-term security as a Jewish, democratic homeland.

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J Street welcomes the Council of the European Union’s conclusions on the Middle East peace process issued earlier today, underscoring the urgent need to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts peacefully and diplomatically through two states and a regional peace. The resolution serves as a thoughtful, thorough and on-point assessment of what must happen to move toward this goal, and we urge the Obama administration to consider whether it can provide a basis for forging broad, international consensus around next steps forward toward a comprehensive, regional peace.

In particular, the resolution highlights the broad international support for strong American leadership to resume talks on critical final status issues, including borders based on the pre-1967 lines with reciprocal land swaps agreed upon by the parties.

With tensions flaring in Jerusalem, J Street joins the EU in expressing our deep concern over provocative, unilateral actions that create damaging new facts on the ground and hinder the chances of achieving a two-state solution and securing Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic homeland.  J Street continues to call for stronger American engagement to stop home demolitions, evictions, and other such provocative actions in Jerusalem. We underscore our belief that a final status two-state framework will allow for the international recognition of Israel’s capital in Jerusalem, with the capital of the future Palestinian state in East Jerusalem.

The situation in Gaza also continues to undermine the prospects for peace, with an ever-deteriorating humanitarian situation and an Israeli soldier still held in captivity after three and a half years.  We join the EU in its call on Hamas to immediately release Gilad Shalit, as well as its call on Israel to open the border crossings.

J Street reiterates its call on all parties - Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab states - to take the necessary steps to urgently achieve two states for two peoples – a Jewish, democratic Israel and a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian state – and a regional comprehensive peace.

The EU continues to serve as a critical partner to the United States as it works to achieve these goals and bring true peace and security to the region.

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Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director of J Street, released the following statement regarding J Street’s position on the Goldstone Report and H. Res. 867:

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 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.

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J Street is unable to support House Resolution 867 regarding the Goldstone Commission report on Operation Cast Lead.

J Street would be able to support a resolution that:

• Recognizes the history of bias against Israel at the United Nations, the flaws in the original mandate to the Goldstone Commission, and the dangers in pursuing resolutions in multilateral fora with a track record of anti-Israel bias;

• Condemns the series of one-sided resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council;

• Expresses support for the people of southern Israel who were traumatized by years of constant rocket and mortar fire as well as for the people of Gaza who are suffering greatly from the effects of both the military operation and the ongoing blockade of Gaza;

• Correctly acknowledges that the Commission’s original mandate was adjusted by Judge Goldstone himself and accepted by the Human Rights Council to include a focus on the conduct of both sides, and that the report included the first-ever exposure by a UN body of war crimes and human rights violations by Hamas;

• Calls on both the Palestinians and Israelis to launch independent investigations into their conduct during Operation Cast Lead;

• Calls on the US government to attempt to defeat in the General Assembly any resolution which unfairly focuses only on Israel and

• Calls on the US government to state unequivocally that it will veto in the Security Council any resolution which refers charges against Israel and Israelis to the International Criminal Court.

We urge members of the House to consider changes in the Resolution in line with the positions above and to call for independent investigations by both Israelis and Palestinians, adding their voices to those in Israel such as Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor.

J Street further urges the Obama Administration to make every effort to oppose and defeat the one-sided and biased resolution that is likely to be presented next week in the General Assembly and to work actively for the adoption of a better, balanced resolution.  We urge the United States to make clear that it will use its veto to prevent any referral of this matter to the International Criminal Court.

Finally, we urge Congress to express support for the President’s efforts to prioritize swift resumption and conclusion of permanent status negotiations.  No matter what happens at the United Nations, Israel’s future as a democratic home for the Jewish people depends on achieving a two-state solution before the window of opportunity closes and the Administration must urgently press forward toward a comprehensive regional peace.

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