It's quite brief:
J Street’s pro-Israel, pro-peace views represent a large segment of American Jewry. We should be welcomed as allies by Israel’s leaders.
The background is that the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Public Diplomacy Committee is about to hold hearings on J Street, which describes itself as "The political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans."
Americans for Peace Now expressed "outrage." APN president Debra DeLee said:
After aggressively attacking dissenting voices in Israel and trying to suppress diversity at home, some Israeli legislators are now extending their intimidation campaign across the ocean. The attempt to delegitimize an American organization that supports Israel and works tirelessly to engage tens of thousands of Americans in pro-Israel activity is bad for Israel. Israel needs all the support it can get from Americans of all political persuasions. It cannot afford to cast doubt on the love and devotion of hundreds of thousands of American friends, whose vision for Israel is deeply anchored in values of peace, justice, equality and democracy.
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami has gone to Israel for the hearing. In his initial response to the Knesset plenum vote to hold the hearing, Ben-Ami said:
As an American Jewish organization founded to promote Israel’s long-term future as a Jewish, democratic home, J Street was surprised and disappointed to learn Thursday that a committee of Israel’s Knesset will be convening to discuss J Street and our views on policy and politics.
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We believe such a Knesset discussion is unprecedented in the history of Israel. It appears to be one more regrettable step by a small but growing group of anti-democratic forces in Israeli politics to limit debate and to intimidate those with whom they disagree.
J Street represents over 170,000 Americans who support the State of Israel and the right of the Jewish people to a national home of their own. We speak for a very large number of American Jews when we advocate strongly for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that it is an existential necessity if Israel hopes to remain both Jewish and democratic.
We are at times critical of some policies of the government of Israel, but our support for the state and its people is unwavering.
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In our advocacy, we adhere to the vision of the founders of Israel, as articulated in the country’s Declaration of Independence, that the national home of the Jewish people should be “based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel” and “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” We support a vibrant democracy in Israel that brings the values of the Jewish people to life.
The fact that the Knesset should be debating the acceptability of J Street’s views at all does and should concern many who care about the state of Israel’s democracy. We, however, will engage proudly in this committee meeting and take this as a welcome opportunity to introduce J Street in Israel, and to call Israeli public attention to the risk posed to relations with American Jews by the growing strength of extreme and anti-democratic forces in Israeli politics and their efforts to stifle debate.
Evidently, Prime Minister Netanyahu found time to meet with former half-term governor Sarah Palin, but would not make time to meet with Ben-Ami.
But we can make heard our support for J Street. Please sign the petition.