We criticize Israel’s policies, but believe in its right to exist: J Street founder
Published: Mar 1, 2011 01:09 Updated: Mar 1, 2011 01:09
WASHINGTON: J Street held its second annual conference in Washington DC this weekend. The “pro-Israel, pro-peace” organization sparked enormous controversy and was solidly criticized by lawmakers and other pro-Israel groups when it announced its support of a proposed UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli housing development on the West Bank.
(Under pressure from key members including Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the Obama administration ultimately vetoed the resolution on Feb. 18.)
J Street even lost the backing of a key politician, Rep. Gary Ackerman, the former chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, over its opposition to the US veto. Ackerman accused J Street of being “so open-minded about what constitutes support for Israel that its brains have fallen out.”
Founded in 2008 as a progressive Jewish political alternative to more conservative pro-Israel organizations, such as AIPAC, J Street often takes heat over its self-definition as pro-Israel while advocating a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
“As we see it, the cause of the Palestinian people – the creation of an independent state of their own – is essential to our cause as well,” Jeremy Ben Ami, President of J Street, told reporters Sunday.
“Those who seek to silence criticism of Israeli policy in the name of fighting de-legitimization of Israel are making an enormous mistake. Do not ask us to stand by quietly as the present Israeli government charts a course that erodes its Jewish character, undermines its democratic principles and leads to international isolation,” said Ben Ami.
Its pro-peace principles brought in almost 3,000 attendees this weekend, but it was boycotted by the Israeli Embassy which did not send a representative. “I think Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren made an enormous mistake by not attending the conference,” Ben Ami said.
But several liberal Knesset members and 50 US congressmen did show up, as well as an impressive array of respected expects from the Middle East community. Invited guest speakers included Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, head of the Cordoba Initiative (derogatorily known as the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’), and Mona Eltahawy, the outspoken international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues.
Their presence was in line with J Street’s principles of finding ways for American Muslims and Jews to work together despite often serious cultural, political and religious divides.
J Street’s main lobbying focus is on promoting democracy and prosperity in the Middle East, as well as urging Congress to continue funding the Palestinian Authority. J Street appears to have become an expert on handling the often hot-button issue of Muslim-Jewish issues.
Speaking at a seminar entitled “Working Together,” Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf encouraged those present to “battle to eliminate the myths that many people propagate to divide us through hostility.”
“The real battlefront is not between Arabs and Jews, nor Muslims and Jews, nor Muslims and the West,” he said. “The real battlefront is between peace loving people in all faith communities against the radical extremists in all faith communities.”
That many of us have been taught that ‘the other’ is our enemy – all Jews or all Muslims — is a huge mistake, said Imam Feisel: “Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned against extremism in religion. Perfection lies in moderation.”
Hel warned of the problems of the “politicalization of religious differences and politicalization of religion.”
“This politicalization of religion is one of the most dangerous developments in the last century,” he said, adding that we all have differences, and we need diversity of religion, but let’s not politicize them. What we do together has a huge impact on the rest of the world.”
Elissa Barrett, Executive Director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance, the West Coast’s leading Jewish social justice organization said one the most effective ways of overcoming this fear of other is by working together.
“We must place curiosity about each other over or assumptions about each other.”
A good way to accomplish this, she said, was working together through community organizing.
“It’s so easy to speak to other people in the choir; investment in charge is speaking to those whom we do not always agree with,” said Barrett.
She said her group became more active with the Muslim community “after 9/11, when we saw members of the Muslim community being rounded up for questioning, and we decided to step forward and get involved to help our Muslim neighbors. Now our group actively takes steps to speak out against Islamophobia in Los Angeles.”
Edina Lekovic, Director of Policy & Programming, Muslim Public Affairs Council, agreed, saying their group had also found that establishing relationships was the best way of dealing with assumptions of each other.
“This is how authentic relations are created, we are working together to fight both anti-Semitism and Islamaphobism outside our communities.”
“Our relationship must be strong enough so we can survive our differences. We have to have strong relationships so that people don’t walk away from the tale when an international event (such as Israel’s war on Gaza) can divide them.”
Rabbi Andrea London, co-chair Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Muslim Initiative in Chicago, Illinois, concurred and focused on the “many common values between Jewish and Muslim communities” adding that “one of the most common is that of justice.”
They had developed relations, she said, by sharing communal work, “including building coalitions through education, cultural events, and social justice programs to build bridges together.”
Comments
WILFRED
Mar 2, 2011 11:33
Report abuseBiblical Christianity is the answer.
JAMED
Mar 2, 2011 11:38
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