Jews on J Street: A new liberal Washington lobby comes of age at its first annual conference

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Jews on J Street
A new liberal Washington lobby comes of age at its first annual conference.

By Ralph Seliger


WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 18-month old liberal “pro-Israel, pro-peace” Washington lobby, J Street, went into its first annual conference with huge momentum and a major news spotlight that only grew with the event itself. Expecting 1000 participants, its venues overflowed at Washington’s Grand Hyatt Hotel with an announced total of 1,500 registrants. Most sessions were mobbed; this reporter was closed out of one and twice could hardly find a piece of wall to lean on, let alone a seat.

J Street has grown from a founding staff of four to 30 today. It absorbed the student-oriented Union of Progressive Zionists (founded by left-Zionist groups several years ago) as its youth arm and renamed it “J Street U.” About 250 J Street U activists had just concluded its national meeting and were very much in evidence at the larger event.

In the weeks prior to the conference, J Street completed negotiations to ally with Brit Tzedek V’Shalom (the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace), which has a “grassroots” following in 30 local chapters. It will serve J Street as its field arm, with a possible name change.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street’s founder and executive director, delineated the group’s three major objectives as: upholding the “right of the Jewish people to a state in the land of Israel,” the “right of Palestinians to a state of Palestine,” and that “the U.S. should help.” He spoke of being “pro-Israel, not anti-somebody else.” The conference frequently echoed with words about “inclusiveness,” “widening the tent” and how being “pro-Israel” requires being “pro-Palestine.” ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5157/jews_on_j_street

[imdjh]

1. Whew! For a second there I thought it was an article on a C Street counterpart.

[FLAprogressive]

2. I believe they've been attacked by AIPAC which probably means they're doing something good

[ClarkUSA]

3. Great news about some good people.

[LeftishBrit]

4. k&r