By Spencer Ackerman 10/30/09In a statement to be sent to supporters, J Street, the pro-Israel-pro-peace American Jewish lobby group, is urging members of Congress not to pass to significantly modify a resolution condemning U.N. investigator Richard Goldstone's report into war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas during last year's conflict. That resolution, strongly supported by other American Jewish organizations, fails to call for, among other things, "independent investigations by both Israelis and Palestinians."
J Street focuses less on what's wrong with the Goldstone resolution and more on what it wants to see in changes to the resolution, using language that largely tracks with the rest of the American Jewish lobby community in defense of Israel. In particular, the progressive organization says it favors a resolution that calls on the Obama administration to "veto in the [United Nations] Security Council any resolution which refers charges against Israel and Israelis to the International Criminal Court." The full statement, after the jump.
Posted by: Amy Spitalnick | September 21st, 2009Today, J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:
J Street has reviewed the Goldstone report in its entirety over the past several days.
J Street agrees with Israelis, such as Minister Isaac Herzog, that some of the concerns with the report would have been better addressed had the Israeli Government cooperated with the investigation in presenting its own findings.
We urge the Israeli government to establish an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the accusations, something Israel has done on several occasions in the past.
J Street strongly condemns Hamas for its actions both before and during the Gaza war ? actions which the report says may amount to crimes against humanity.
The past cannot be changed by reports and commissions. Israelis, Palestinians and the international community led by the United States must focus on forging a better future ? beginning with this week?s trilateral meeting hosted by President Obama.
Purposeful and assertive action is needed now to avert future rounds of violence and bloodshed. A two-state solution, achieved in short order, is the best alternative for Israel to ongoing insecurity and endless rounds of investigations and international opprobrium.
J Street will continue to focus on advancing this goal and supporting those with the courage to lead the way in making the right choices and tough compromises necessary to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and to advance American interests in the region.
by Maayana Miskin
The far-left, United States-based, Israel lobby J Street is losing support both within the Obama administration and from its own members, according to the Washington Times. The change was attributed to J Street's connections to Judge Richard Goldstone, and to the recent revelation that most of its funding comes from two far-left donors.Goldstone works for me !The group also received a total of $750,000 from George Soros and his family between 2008 and 2010. J Street had previously denied that Soros was involved in the organization. Soros is a controversial figure who has previously given to Arab groups, but not to Israel, and has funded U.S. liberal groups such as MoveOn.org. He criticized former U.S. President George Bush for refusing to accept a Palestinian Authority ruled jointly by Fatah and Hamas.
Virginia Republican Representative Eric Cantor told the newspaper that the sources of J Street's funding prove that ?they are not reflecting the mainstream position of the pro-Israel community in America.?
..Israeli Shekel Exchange
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