Since our founding, accusations about J Street and our leadership have morphed from whispered lies to stated fact in attacks on J Street in various right-leaning publications, organizations, and blogs.
To bring the conversation over what is best for Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic homeland back to reality, we've compiled short responses to frequently overheard and simply untrue attacks against J Street.
J Street is proud to provide a reasoned, moderate voice for supporters of Israel - Jewish and not. We encourage open and honest debate about what is best for Israel and the United States and we urge those who disagree with us to engage on the merits, rather than engaging in scurrilous personal attacks.
If you would like us to answer an attack on J Street, send us an email at info [at] jstreet.org.
Myth:
J Street is not truly supportive of Israel.
Fact:
We are pro-Israel because we believe that a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the single best chance we have to
secure Israel's future as a Jewish democracy.
We believe in the original Zionist idea of a country where Jews could always go to be secure, and we hope that Israel will live up to and represent the core Jewish values of justice, equality, and democracy.
We also do not believe that agreeing with everything the current Israeli government does should be the litmus test for what it means to be pro-Israel.
We believe, like many American supporters of Israel, in a big tent concept of what it means to be pro-Israel. We are also hopeful that our efforts will encourage more Americans who have previously been uncomfortable with describing themselves as pro-Israel, especially young Americans, to find a home in our vision of what it means to be pro-Israel.
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Myth:
J Street has defended Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Fact:
J Street is strongly opposed to the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. Preventing Iran from acquiring such weapons is a critical strategic interest of the United States, Israel, and the entire Middle East, and is essential to achieving regional peace and stability.
We agree with President Barack Obama and the leadership of the United States Congress that the United States must do everything possible to prevent the development of Iranian nuclear weapons. We believe that any serious and realistic attempt to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions demands a comprehensive and multilateral approach, rooted in diplomatic engagement with Iran and the international community.
In the face of continued Iranian rejection and provocation, we also believe the time has come for the United States and its international partners to ready new multilateral sanctions on the Government of Iran as a means of gaining leverage at this decisive moment in the diplomatic track. To enhance the tools at the United States' disposal as part of a broad multilateral effort to increase pressure on Iran, J Street supports Congressional passage of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 (IRPSA). Presentation of this bill for the President's consideration will highlight, at a critical juncture for the Iranian Government, that they face a real choice between one path that leads to further isolation and another that leads to full integration in the international community and the ability to develop their economy to its full potential.
We remain strongly opposed to the use of military force by Israel or the United States to attack Iran.
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Myth:
J Street favors the United States negotiating with Hamas.
Fact:
J Street believes that Hamas' consistent opposition to the peace process, its support for terror against Israeli civilians, its use of violence for political purposes, and its repeated denial of the Holocaust are all reprehensible and abominable.
We also recognize, however, that one makes peace with one's enemies not one's friends. Hamas is a political movement that has an important and significant base of support within Palestinian society and politics. Ultimately, a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will require Palestinian political reconciliation and we support efforts by third parties to achieve reconciliation and a unity government, whose officials will work within a diplomatic process to achieve an acceptable two-state solution.
Further, we would not oppose a decision by the Israeli government, the United States, or other countries to find unofficial, indirect ways to engage Hamas in order to advance U.S. and Israeli interests. For instance, it is important to remember that this Israeli government and prior ones have engaged indirectly with Hamas over such issues as bringing home Gilad Shalit and achieving ceasefires that end rocket attacks against Israel.
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Myth:
J Street's Advisory Council is made up of anti-Israel ideologues.
Fact:
J Street's Advisory Council consists of over 170 prominent Americans - including 3 Former Members of Congress, 28 Rabbis, a number of former Jewish community leaders and professionals, and many others. Click here for the full list.
Some on the Council have been publicly critical of Israeli policy - and so has J Street at times. We do not equate opposition to the policies of a particular Israeli government or official with being anti-Israel - just as we don't equate opposition to a particular American party or official with being anti-American.
We have a particular view on the policies that would be most beneficial to Israel and to the United States - and we realize that there are those who disagree. We urge an open and robust debate on the merits of our positions and an end to ad hominem attacks and name calling against our supporters.
It is worth noting as well that J Street has the support of numerous Israeli security officials, foreign officers, politicians, writers, and artists. Click here for that list and to see a video featuring prominent Israeli supporters of J Street.
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Myth:
J Street’s funding comes from Arab-Americans, Muslim-Americans, representatives-of/lobbyists-for the Saudi government and/or other Arabs who, by their past statements, are clearly identified as anti-Israel.
Fact:
J Street has thousands of donors, large and small. We don't know the religious or ethnic backgrounds of all of them, but we do know that they are primarily individual Jewish Americans. J Street accepts no funding from foreign governments or from foreign organizations.
Even the original Jerusalem Post article on J Street’s funding, from which so many of the smear emails have sprung, said: 'The funds that come from these sources [Arab and Muslim Americans] indeed constitute a small fraction of the year-and-a-half-old organization's political fundraising, which totaled around $844,000 in 2008 - a key election year - and $111,000 so far in 2009. They comprise several dozen of the PAC's 4,000-5,000 donors."
You don’t have to take our word for it. JStreetPAC, by law, reports all of its thousands of donors to the Federal Election Commission, and those reports can be publicly reviewed on the website of the Federal Election Commission.
J Street also listed the names of its major 2008 donors (members of its Finance Committee) in its annual report on page 9 (PDF). Many of its major donors are also members of its Advisory Council, which can be viewed on our website.
Again, a quick review will show that nearly all our top donors are leading American Jewish philanthropists and political activists.
Yes, a tiny portion of J Street’s support comes from non-Jewish Americans (including some Arab- and some Muslim-Americans, as well as some Americans of other backgrounds). J Street, in fact, welcomes support from all Americans who believe in assertive U.S. diplomacy to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East and the establishment of two states living side by side in peace and security.
As a primarily but not exclusively Jewish organization, J Street believes that support from non-Jews for our pro-Israel positions is actually extremely helpful to Israel - and helps ensure a long-term base of support for Israel's security.
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Myth:
J Street opposes Israel's right to defend itself with military force, as was illustrated by J Street's opposition to Israeli military action against Hamas in Gaza.
Fact:
We support Israel's right to defend itself militarily and believe that maintaining Israel's qualitative military advantage in the region is one essential element of a strategy to keep Israel secure for the long term.
We also believe, however, that it is equally important to Israel's long-term survival and security to achieve a negotiated, diplomatic two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to define internationally accepted borders for Israel, and to gain broader diplomatic acceptance of Israel in the Middle East.
We believed that Israel's military action in Gaza was both understandable and justifiable. No country can be expected to absorb thousands of rockets without the right to respond militarily.
To us, the question was whether the specific military action actually advanced Israeli interests and security in the long-term and whether there weren't alternative strategies for ending the violence from Gaza through negotiation.
When it comes to Operation Cast Lead, here is the actual statement that we put out (link):
While this morning's air strikes by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza can be understood and even justified in the wake of recent rocket attacks, we believe that real friends of Israel recognize that escalating the conflict will prove counterproductive, igniting further anger in the region and damaging long-term prospects for peace and stability.
Respecting Israel's right to defend itself, we urge leaders there to recognize that there is no military solution to what is fundamentally a political conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
We stand by that statement and believe that the ongoing blockade of Gaza and the consequent human suffering being experienced by the people of Gaza is not advancing Israel's interests and is in fact sowing the seeds of further violence and devastation if there is no political resolution to the conflict in the near future.
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Myth:
J Street is critical only of Israel, never of the Palestinians and Arabs; J Street seeks concessions only from Israel, not from the other side.
Fact:
J Street has been very clear in every public statement that it believes that all sides - including Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states - will have to take steps and make compromises if the Arab-Israeli conflict is to be settled peacefully.
In supporting President Obama's demand that Israel cease settlement expansion, J Street has also always called on the Palestinians to live up to their commitments to end incitement and violence, and on the Arab nations to take steps toward normalization of relations with Israel.
J Street has also been critical of Holocaust denial by Hamas, the use of the Durban II conference to promote anti-Semitism, and support for violence and incitement against Israel in the Arab world.
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Myth:
Right-wing bloggers continue to assert J Street is somehow "tied" to Saudi Arabia
Fact:
J Street receives no funding from any foreign government or agent - Arab or otherwise. J Street has no formal association with any other organizations - Arab or other.
Nearly all of J Street's funding comes from Jewish Americans who seek peace and security for Israel and the whole Middle East. A small percentage of J Street's funding comes from non-Jewish Americans who share our desire for peace and security for all people in the Middle East and support the right of the Jewish people to a secure and democratic home in Israel.
J Street believes the United States and Israel should explore the possibility of regional, comprehensive peace offered by the Arab League in what is commonly known as the Arab Peace Initiative. The Initiative was introduced originally by the Saudis and has received positive reaction from numerous high ranking Israeli officials (Israeli President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni, to name a few). The Initiative is not a comprehensive peace plan, rather it is an offer that should be explored not ignored. Necessary modifications (on the "Right of Return," for example) should be made in context of a comprehensive, negotiated peace.
Some right-wing bloggers and opposition researchers engaged in a fear-and-smear campaign attempt to tarnish J Street because - among its thousands of donors are a small handful who have worked in some capacity with Arab countries or are themselves Arab Americans. We reject such tactics that, to our mind, are all but racist. We are proud of our cooperation with non-Jews - Christians and Muslims - who share our recognition that peace and long-term security will only come to the Middle East when Jews find common ground with Arabs - both Muslim and Christian - and a formula for sharing one land among two peoples through a two-state solution.
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Myth:
Liberal financier George Soros founded and is the primary funder of J Street.
Fact:
George Soros did not found J Street. In fact, George Soros very
publicly stated his decision not to be engaged in J Street when it was
launched - precisely out of fear that his involvement would be used
against the organization.
J Street's Executive Director has stated many times that he would in fact be very pleased to have funding from Mr. Soros and the offer remains open to him to be a funder should he wish to support the effort.
J Street has thousands of donors, large and small. The supporters of the political action committee (JStreetPAC) can be publicly reviewed on the website of the Federal Election Commission. The top donors to J Street are members of the organization's Finance Committee - listed in its annual report on page 9 (PDF). Many of its major donors are also members of its Advisory Council.
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Myth:
J Street's polling is compromised by the fact that its pollster Jim Gerstein serves on its Board of Directors.
Fact:
J Street publicly releases the survey methodology, composition of the
sample, and the full question wording for our polls of American Jews.
This full disclosure and transparency reflects J Street's commitment to
opening up its research to professional scrutiny and is unparalleled
among other organizations conducting public opinion research of
American Jews.
Some who disagree with J Street's views choose to attack the credibility of our pollster, rather than debate the merits of our opinions. But the fact that Jim Gerstein is a founding member of J Street's Board of Directors doesn't change the views of Jewish Americans on Israel.
Over the past year, J Street's opinion research has confirmed what surveys by other organizations have shown over the years: the majority of Jewish Americans hold moderate views when it comes to Israel and the Middle East.
A majority of Jewish Americans support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, oppose expanding settlements on the West Bank, and favor assertive American diplomacy to end the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. They supported Barack Obama for President by 78 percent over John McCain, and they have consistently been among the most progressive American voters on a whole range of foreign and domestic policy issues.
Gerstein's views on Israel and the Middle East are no secret - nor is his involvement as a key and early founder of J Street. He was the Executive Director of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation for many years. He lived in Israel in the late 1990s, where he was a member of Ehud Barak's polling and communications team, and he currently serves as Vice President of the board of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center and on the board of Americans for Peace Now.
Much as John McCain and Barack Obama chose pollsters who shared their politics to guide them through the 2008 campaign, J Street chose Jim Gerstein to be its lead pollster and a key strategist precisely because he combines a pro-Israel, pro-peace perspective on issues relating to Israel and the Middle East with deep expertise in analyzing American politics.
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Myth:
J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami is somehow responsible for work done by his former firm, Fenton Communications, in March 2009 related to a Qatari foundation.
Fact:
Ben-Ami has no knowledge of and no connection to any work done by Fenton Communications after he left the firm at the end of 2007.
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Myth:
J Street defended President Obama's choice of Mary Robinson to receive a Medal of Freedom.
Fact:
J Street never issued a single statement related to Mary Robinson.
Individuals associated with J Street's public relations firm may have
done some personal work on the issue - but that had nothing to do with
J Street, just as the firm's work for dozens of other clients is
completely unrelated to J Street.
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Myth:
J Street endorsed the anti-Semitic play Seven Jewish Children.
Fact:
J Street took no position on the content of Seven Jewish Children - it is, after all, a play, and not policy.
J Street does believe that it is absolutely essential to the health of the American Jewish community and in keeping with the traditions of the Jewish people throughout history to have an open and vibrant debate over contentious issues. We are deeply opposed to any restrictions on artistic and academic freedom. This applies to attempts to ban Israeli academics and artists from appearing around the world as part of boycott efforts toward Israel, and it applies to attempts to ban controversial academics or artistic expressions from appearing with messages that may be perceived to be critical of Israeli policy. Along those lines, we issued a statement in support of the Toronto Film Festival's decision to choose Tel Aviv for its inaugural City-to-City spotlight, condemning those who urged a protest of the film festival.
We support the right of theater companies (in this case it was the DC Jewish Community Center's Theater J) to put on plays like Seven Jewish Children in an effort to spark an open and healthy dialogue within the American Jewish community about the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the Jewish soul and Jewish morality.
J Street's original statement on Seven Jewish Children - link.
J Street's response Letter to the Editor in The Jerusalem Post - link.
