Your Pro-Israel Dollars at Work
The latest pro-Israel primary funding battle was another victory for AIPAC in Maryland. Next stop: Michigan. Is it good for the Jews?
AIPAC Falls Victim to Polarizing Politics
And yet, AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, should have been able to navigate this minefield a little more gracefully. The lobby, known for its political savviness, has demonstrated its mastery of political nuance in the past, knowing exactly how far it can go in stepping on the toes of one side (usually the Democrats) without alienating it altogether. AIPAC has shown its ability to remain a welcome guest and a trusted adviser regardless of the party occupying the White House or holding the majority in Congress.
This week, however, was different.
Aid to Israel: Has J Street Changed the Game?
J Street, the left-leaning pro-Israel lobby, wrapped up its three-day conference in Washington, DC last week. In an email to supporters summing up the meeting (and making a pitch for donations), the group’s president Jeremy Ben-Ami announced, “We’ve changed the conversation” about Israel, noting that the conference brought the issue of Israel to the Democratic presidential race agenda and that candidates have discussed, among other issues, their plans to “employ U.S. leverage to combat settlement expansion.” Or, in other words, J Street made using American foreign aid to Israel into an issue Democrats are willing to fight for.
What Will J Street’s Israel Trip Mean for Birthright?
For many young adults, going on a Taglit Birthright Israel trip is an integral part of the Jewish experience. But the trip has also proven controversial, and J Street recently announced its own free trip.
Is Brooke Davies the American Jewish Establishment’s Worst Nightmare?
Brooke Davies spent ten summers at Camp Ramah, confronted anti-Semitism routinely as a child in the South, and fell in love with Israel as a teenager. She also had a close call with terrorism, less than two years ago, when a young boy attempted to stab her in Jaffa. But when became a national leader in J Street U, she faced opposition from the Jewish community and even from those in her family. Now she is reconsidering her relationship with the Jewish community altogether.
Opinion // Agreeing to Disagree
There is no reason for the Jewish community to be monolithic in our opinions.
The AIPAC/J Street Color War
by Charles Kopel
A new spring ritual has taken form for American Jews concerned with Israel activism. The AIPAC Policy Conference, a mainstay in the American...
March Comes In with AIPAC and Goes Out with J Street
March is bookended by two Israel-related conferences in Washington this year: the annual AIPAC Policy Conference, attended by about 13,000 people, was held the first...
Where Does This J Street Go?
by Theodore Samets
Summer is a time for sales. It’s a time for vacations. It’s a time to escape work in the afternoon to get to...
Glenn Beck’s Wet Hot Israeli Summer
By Adina Rosenthal
Glenn Beck is making quite a splash in the Jewish state this summer. This August, Beck will host “Restoring Courage,” a three-part event...
Loving Israel The Right (Or Left) Way
By Amanda Walgrove
Last week, Sarah Palin visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of Israel's right-wing coalition, including Likud Chairman, Danny...
At J Street, Attempting to Redefine “Pro-Israel”
By Niv Elis
In its second-ever conference in Washington, DC this week, the self-described “Pro-Peace, Pro-Israel” lobby group J Street drew some 2,000 left-leaning Israel supporters.
By...