J Street - a pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby
At last, a sensible Israel lobby - J Street promotes the interests of Israel while campaigning against continued settlement in the Gaza Strip. Not surprisingly, their efforts are causing an outcry. Critics accuse them of being anti-Israel, of aiding Israel's enemies. The following quote illustrates it nicely:
The conveners of Wednesday’s hearing, a hawkish Likud legislator named Danny Danon and a conservative colleague from the centrist Kadima party, Otniel Schneller, wanted to expose J Street for what they believed it to be - a group of self-doubting American Jews more worried about what their neighbors say than what is good for the state of Israel.
“This is a dispute between those who care what non-Jews will say and those who believe in being a light unto nations, between the mentality of exile and that of redemption,” Mr. Schneller said. “J Street is not a Zionist organization. It offers love with strings attached. They say, ‘We love you only if you behave the way we like.’ ”
Yes, Mr. Schneller. You're absolutely right. U.S. support for Israel should come with strings attached. Who is Israel to ask for unconditional love? World politics is not a family. Israel must act responsibly and ethically toward its populace and neighbors, or risk losing U.S. support. What nation could expect anything more or less?
U.S. group, J Street, stirs debate on being "pro-Israel" NY Times
The conveners of Wednesday’s hearing, a hawkish Likud legislator named Danny Danon and a conservative colleague from the centrist Kadima party, Otniel Schneller, wanted to expose J Street for what they believed it to be - a group of self-doubting American Jews more worried about what their neighbors say than what is good for the state of Israel.
“This is a dispute between those who care what non-Jews will say and those who believe in being a light unto nations, between the mentality of exile and that of redemption,” Mr. Schneller said. “J Street is not a Zionist organization. It offers love with strings attached. They say, ‘We love you only if you behave the way we like.’ ”
Yes, Mr. Schneller. You're absolutely right. U.S. support for Israel should come with strings attached. Who is Israel to ask for unconditional love? World politics is not a family. Israel must act responsibly and ethically toward its populace and neighbors, or risk losing U.S. support. What nation could expect anything more or less?
U.S. group, J Street, stirs debate on being "pro-Israel" NY Times