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Is J Street Misrepresenting Its Real Mission?

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Amb. Alan Baker - In its founding aims and principles, J Street declares its overriding aim as "reshaping political perceptions of what it means to be pro-Israel." On the one hand, J Street presents itself and is perceived by many as a genuine lobbying organization with the veneer of supporting Israel and expressing concern for its welfare. But, on the other hand, one can nevertheless see that J Street's substantive political viewpoint is openly radical and partisan, identifying itself clearly with the Palestinian narrative. J Street has failed to welcome and promote the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states, apparently because they downgrade the urgency J Street feels for a Palestinian state. The organization has actively lobbied against military aid to those Arab states that normalized relations. As such, J Street is clearly undercutting any genuine concern for Israel's security and is, in fact, undermining Israel's right to defend itself. Undermining the internationally-accepted and agreed peace negotiation process called for in UN Security Council resolutions and implemented through the Oslo Accords, J Street advocates setting aside bilateral, direct negotiation, preferring to recommend a "multilateral approach to resolving the conflict." Such an approach echoes ongoing Palestinian attempts to bypass direct negotiations with Israel and transfer the issue to an international conference that would impose a solution on Israel. Finally, how does J Street equate its supposed concern for Israel's security while at the same time deliberately ignoring Iran's direct existential threats against Israel and advocating a policy of appeasement vis-a-vis Iran? While logical and substantive criticism of any particular action or policy by Israel may well be legitimate, J Street, by its actions and policies, has redefined itself as an anti-Israel organization. The writer, Director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center and former deputy director-general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the negotiation and drafting of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians.
2021-01-11 00:00:00
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