Friends,
Israel is in the midst of a major political struggle.
On one side, those fighting to protect Israel’s founding ideals of democracy, equality and justice. On the other, the new hardline Netanyahu government, bent on centralizing power, circumventing the courts and cementing permanent occupation in the West Bank.
You may have heard of the government’s plans to allow a simple majority in Israel’s parliament to easily overrule any Supreme Court decision. You may have heard of the massive protest movement that's pushing back, with over 100,000 Israelis demonstrating across the country in recent weeks.
But here’s what you probably haven’t heard: The government’s radical plan was drawn up by the Kohelet Forum, an increasingly powerful right-wing, pro-settlement think tank that’s funded largely by two right-wing American billionaires.
They’ve been called “the brains of the Israeli right wing” and helped draft the problematic “Nation-State Law” -- which according to Netanyahu made Israel “the national state, not of all its citizens, but only of the Jewish people.” They were also behind Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo’s tenuous legal argument claiming that Israeli settlements in occupied territory do not violate international law.
The group is funded by two Republican Jewish-American billionaires from Pennsylvania who have also helped fund the campaigns of MAGA extremists like Lauren Boebert. They hope that GOP-style policies and values can come to dominate Israeli society.
As Jewish Americans with a better vision for the future, we cannot afford to step back from this fight. J Street is proud to push back against forces like these, and champion our values of democracy, equality and peace.
We might not have right-wing billionaires backing our work, but we do have thousands of supporters like you. Can you chip in $18, $54, $90 -- or any other amount -- to help us fight back?
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It’s clear that the far-right here in the US is working hand-in-hand with the Netanyahu government to undermine liberal democracy, deepen the occupation, and promote a dangerous vision for the future. But it’s also clear that their extreme plans are opposed by millions of Israelis -- and the vast majority of Jewish Americans.
The Biden Administration has rightly criticized some of the new government’s moves, but as Israel’s closest ally and a champion of democracy at home and abroad, it cannot treat this as “business as usual.” The US must meaningfully stand up to the dangerous plans of this extreme government -- and stand behind the vast movement of Israelis who have been rallying against them.
That’s what J Street is working toward -- in Washington and across the country. We’re sounding the alarm about the extreme actions of Netanyahu’s government, groups like Kohelet, and their Republican megadonors. We’re mobilizing our community to stand up for the shared democratic values that should be at the heart of the US-Israel relationship.
Can you chip in $18, $54, $90 or any other amount today to make sure that a handful of billionaires can’t dictate Israel’s future -- and drown out the voice of the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy majority? >>
Thank you for your support,
Adina Vogel Ayalon
Chief of Staff, J Street
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more, J Street’s Director of Policy Dr. Debra Shushan has just put out a great deep dive on the Kohelet Forum and its pivotal role in the plan to undermine Israel’s Supreme Court and radically transform its judicial system. You can view the document here.
