but for now, I've added myself to J Street's list, and I think you should too

Done. One of the most encouraging things I've seen in a long time.

P.S. Mandates suck.

After years of arguing with the Jewish Federation over the "Israel, right or wrong" stance it is wonderful to see a counterpoint come into the political arena. I'm signing up today

It looks great. Perhaps a moot point that DC lacks a physical J Street.

Late last week, Gershom Gorenberg, an Israeli-based writer

The pedant in me points out that should be either Israeli writer or Israel-based writer.

I would gladly contribute to helping J-street establish their offices in S'derot. They might get a different perspective of their "goals" for Israel.

Sincerely,

Michal
S;derot, Israel

Michael in S'derot:

Might I suggest you move your "office" two miles to your southwest. You might get an even greater perspective.

Dear Jeff,

In a patronizing way, you suggest I move my office two miles southwest. Actually, my home was in Kibbutz Kfar Darom - where 3 generations of my family lived, were born, my grandfather was buried there - before the entire community was forcibly cleansed for the sake of "peace" with the Gazan Arabs who didn't wait a day before they destroyed our homes and continued looting our lives. Now they rocket us on a daily basis from Gaza hoping to murder as many Israeli children, men & women as they can.

So thanks for your cynical suggestion.

Sincerely,

Michal
S'derot, Israel

ps: i know you'll probably retort with some lip service about how you condemn terror on "both sides" etc..

please spare this young mother in Israel from your sorrow, your pity and worse of all your "peace" plans....

Here is the problem, Ezra:

I know it's important for you to minimize dissonance between being a trendy liberal and your residual concern for Israel and the way to do that is to convince yourself it's good for Israel to do whatever leftists who really hate it suggest, but at least admit that not negotiating a settlement with Hamas is NOT just a "Likud" position. The Likud is NOT in power in Israel today! The Israeli government is composed of the leading centrist party Kadima and the leading center-left party, Labor, and THEY are not negotiating with Hamas (and don't want to go all the way back to the pre-67 borders either.) That may change, -more Israelis support talking to Hamas than did 5 years ago- but at present it's a cop-out to say "I am not supporting the Likud position"; that's easy. You really should admit that it's not just settlers and their allies in Israel who are not talking to Hamas. A lot of Israelis who are neither extreme nationalists nor religious fanatics think that turning over territory (as opposed to swapping prisoners) to Hamas will just result in more rocket attacks from closer range to Israeli population centers. You can always find SOME Israeli to defend any position, (it's fun to be pals with Daniel Levy, isn't it?), and, who knows, maybe your view will be vindicated, but meanwhile at least acknowledge that sitting thousands of miles away you are still sure you know better than the LARGE MAJORITY of the elected representatives of the Israeli people.

Well.. I came away pretty proud of this blog and the/our Boss...thereto.

Seemed like some adult-speak on an issue fraught on some extraordinarily dangerous levels.
Which will only ever be ameliorated with a lot of that and some open good will on both sides. [Lot of anger already in the thread...innit?]

So Barack's stand is sad but Ezra's take on that seems right too.

Here's what a relatively uninformed observer wonders..
With all of the good sense and good will in Israel...how in God's name has this all been stifled/suppresssed -for so very long - by the 'xact same kind of fear-mongering we in America have so recently enjoyed under Bush et al.
[And we don't live in that existentially perilous neighborhood.]

One would nonetheless think Likud thinking would have long since been rinsed fairly well out of the fabric of that state. Instead of persisting in administrations like Olmert's.

Or is it just inertia...the military industrial state here in America and Fortress Israel, our 53rd state, set out on the oil frontier?

The Hamas definitional offer seemed right...maybe Jimmy will get a chance to mediate?

This is such good news. Finally we have a pro-Israel, pro-Peace group.

I am a proud Jew and I am now also a proud member of J Street.

Wow - J Street is great -- no-guilt identification with anti-Israel policies... now your fellow lefties can love you even though you're a "proud jew" - maybe you'll get that academic promotion now - or that party invite.

Sad. The world is unfair, unjust and morally twisted. And rarely more so than in its support for the Palestinians, i mean "peace" — no matter how many innocents they target for murder and no matter how much Nazi-like anti-Semitism permeates their media — and its neglect of the cruelly treated, humane Tibetans.

I still find it amazing that people without a lobotomy could actually believe you can sit down and make peace with Hamas or any other terror group. You cannot even go down to the local abortion clinic and convince one of those religious zealots they are wrong; how do you plan to convince someone that killing you sends him directly to heaven without having to face Gods judgment. oH, and he's sporting a long knife, a hand gun and a AK-47, not a Bible.

Its is simply beyond stupid. A few facts that you might want to ponder.

1. The head of Hamas did not offer Peace, he offered a death sentence to Israel, because his demand was that Israel recognize a right of return for every Arab Hamas says is a decendent of someone who once lived in Palestine. Therefore, Hamas claims over 9 million more Arabs have a right to live in Isreal.

2. 1.3 Million Arabs live in Peace in Isreal, no Jew or Christian can live in peace in the Arab countries. Take a look at what th Arab wourld has done to the Jewish and Christian populations in their countries. Perhaps pick up a book and read about the oppression and harassment until they are ultimately killed, jailed or leave due to threats against them and their families.

3. Bottom line, disarm the Arabs and there would be peace, disarm Isreal and there will be another Holocaust, period, end of story.

"""as an American repulsed by our complicity in the ethically indefensible expansion of the settlements and worried about our standing in the Arab world; """

Can anyone tell me how much land and property the Arabs have confiscated from Christians and Jews throughout the Middle East?

Any idea? Ever wonder why the press never look into it?

Perhaps J Street will go to the Arabs first and get back the confiscated Jewish lands and property that were taken.

How much did the Jews lose? No official figures exist. The property and belongings of the Jews, confiscated by the Arab governments, has been conservatively estimated at about $2.5 billion in 1948 dollars. Invest that money at a modest 6.5% over 57 years and you have today a sum of $80 billion.

In an interview in June 2007, 'Righting a historical injustice', Dr Heskel Haddad estimated that the value of Jewish property seized at today's prices is between $200 and 300 billion. In an article dated 13 February 2003, Itamar Levin estimated the value of Jewish property lost at $30 billion, with that seized in Iraq, Syria and Egypt alone at between $8 - $10 billion.
______________________

There's your first project J Street to assuage Ezras moral problem with Israel building a few settlements. Get back the 200 - 300 Billion in property and land taken from the Jews FIRST, then we can have peace!!

I guess its bad form to actually make public what the Arabs did to the Jews, why that just doesn't fit J Streets' world view....

I might say the reflexive vitriol is not surprising. However, two quick thoughts.

1)The old "we cant negotiate with them" defense. This was said of every Palestinian leader in the history of the conflict (Abbas is a had picked friend, not an elected or popular leader). So your problem is not Hamas, but the Palestinians. Stop saying it is because of Hamas--you mean the Palestinians. During times of quiet during the occupation, Israel only expedited the illegal expansion of settlements.

2)Not negotiating with Hamas not only does nothing, it makes the problem worse. By refusing to negotiate and, more importantly, cutting of money, supplies and humanitarian aid will make more people sick, poor and angry. It will breed more hate, make the problem grow and increase the depth of the conflict.

To Michal in Sderot:

I did not mean to be offensive but your invocation of your plight rings a bit hollow. I wish you safety and health, however.

According to Btselem: the Israeli center for human rights:
-100 Palestinian civilians were killed in Gaza in 2007
-2 Israeli civilians were killed in Sderot in 2007

http://www.btselem.org/english/press_releases/20071231.asp
http://www.btselem.org/english/Statistics/Casualties.asp

So I will spare you the "both sides" business considering this is a rather one sided affair.

Does this make use of Qassam rockets justifiable, no.

As far as your status, you are not a Gazan refugee. Kfar Darom was an illegal settlement outpost to which you have no legal claim (see UNSC 446 452 463 471 & ICJ rulings, UN 242). Your government acted in accordance with the law by vacating your illegal settlement.

Again, i wish you safety but do not wish to see the falsification of the documentary record.

I mispoke, Abbas is an elected leader. But Hamas is also an elected body.

THEY are not negotiating with Hamas

Officially, there is a Hamas boycott. Unofficially, the government understands it is impossible to have a boycott of Hamas.

And btw, opinion polls show a plurality of Israelis support such negotiations w. Hamas. Do not believe people who tell you there is an Israeli consensus in favor of boycotting or not talking to Hamas. It's not true.

BTW, Michal, dutiful daughter of Sderot is making the rounds of internet sites talking about J Street as she posted exactly the same comment on my blog. But Michal, you missed my article at Comment is Free. Maybe you'll go there now & tell The Guardian's readers how J Street doesn't care of Palestinian terrorism.

And btw, J Street is trying to change U.S. policy. So why would they move their offices to Sderot?

If enough people contribute enough money to J Street it can start organizing the types of trips that AIPAC does for members of Congress. I'm certain one of the first stops will be to Sderot to understand the suffering there. But there will also be stops to places and visits with people you'd rather they not meet--people opposed to settlements, opposed to demonization of Arabs & Palestinians, opposed to more war.

I think the first job of J Street, to show they really care, and show that Hamas is a geniune partner in peace is to apologize to to the Adas family and repay them what they lost.

Shouldn't be hard for Hamas to admit the Arabs were wrong and to apologize and make full restitution.

Make Shafiq Adas ralatives whole to prove Hamas is not again lying to further consolidate their power for their final goal, the destruction of Isreal.

My bet is Hamas could never even do that one small thing since there is zero sincerity in their words, they are meant to fool the weak minded (Ala Jimmie Carter) and the rose colored glass types.

"""Richard Silverstein: J Street doesn't care of Palestinian terrorism"""

It is ARAB terrorism, not Palestinian. Palestinians included Arabs, Jews, Christains and 100 other peoples who lived in the geographic region of Palestine. I see you've already fallen for the propanganda that these people are 'palestinian', a made up group of Arabs that didn't exist until they were part of a campaign.

I understand Jeremiah Wright has already signed up...although he was glad it was called J Street and not 'Jew Street' since some names just shouldn't be mentioned....

Their donate page doesn't accept Paypal? Someone please send them the memo...