Philip,
Only two groups can possibly take pleasure in touting the growing consensus that there won’t be a two-state solution in 2016 or even soon thereafter: one-staters from the settler movement on the political right and one-staters from the BDS Movement on the political left.
The majority in the middle who care about Israel’s long-term security and about it remaining a democratic home for the Jewish people, or about freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people, recognize the intense pain that will come with more years of the one-state reality.
Even in the absence of meaningful Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, J Street’s work is vital, ensuring that moderate, pro-diplomacy and pro-Israel Americans have a loud and clear voice in the country’s political and Jewish communal debates on Israel and the Middle East.
We saw that in 2015 with our most significant victory to date – helping ensure that the Iran nuclear deal survived Congressional review.
And we’ve got an ambitious set of priorities now for 2016:
One, we'll ensure that those who supported the Iran deal survive election year efforts to use their pro-diplomacy vote against them. Even more exciting, we intend to show that some of the most vocal opponents of the deal will be the ones paying a political price in 2016.
Two, we’ll press the Obama administration to take steps toward a two-state solution, rather than stepping back from the issue.
The President should lay out an American plan for two states, including parameters for resolution of all core issues of the conflict. He should then build international support for the plan and consider bringing it to the UN Security Council for approval.
The administration should take strong, concrete steps to back up America’s stated opposition to settlement expansion. Return to calling the settlements “illegal.” Stop giving settlement expansion the cover of a guaranteed American veto of Security Council resolutions that reject them.
Only if the land over the Green Line forms the basis for a state for the Palestinian people can Israel remain Jewish and democratic in character.
That’s why we’re so alarmed by the recent rash of Congressional moves to treat occupied territory as if it’s legally the same as the state of Israel within the pre-1967 Green Line. It'll be a top priority to stop those measures and explain to Congress why blurring the Green Line only furthers a one-state agenda.
Three, we will continue to speak out on American policy in the Middle East – as we did on Iran – when political considerations regarding Israel seem to be skewing policy away from shared American and Israeli interests.
For instance, we will fight efforts in Congress to undermine the Iran nuclear deal through the back door when it couldn’t be defeated in the established review process.
Four, we will continue to press American Jewish organizations and leaders to demonstrate—- in both word and deed—- strong support for two states and opposition to settlement expansion that impedes resolution of the conflict.
We will urge Jewish communal leaders in this country to speak out more clearly on the devastating impact of settlement expansion on the prospects for Israel’s survival. We’ll urge Jewish organizations to make clear whether their funds go over the Green Line and why, and to use maps that show the Green Line and curricula that teach its history and significance.
Finally, we will continue to give voice to our values in the political and communal conversation.
We will oppose growing Islamophobia that painfully reminds us of the scape-goating and discrimination the Jewish people have faced in the past.
We will stand up for refugees from the conflicts in the Middle East because our ancestors once needed refuge from conflict and war.
So, even as it pains me to acknowledge that the settler movement and the one-staters temporarily have the upper hand in Israeli politics, there is still much to be done to win the political day here in American politics and in the Jewish community.
If the rational heart of our community throws up its hands and walks away from these fights, the winners will be those on the political extremes and their victory will mean the loss of Israel as the democratic home of the Jewish people.
The stakes are simply too high to give up the fight. We're in these fights for the long run - and to win.
Thank you for standing with us in 2015.
Will you make your end-of-year gift now, to help us continue our critical work together in 2016 and beyond?
-Jeremy Ben-Ami
P.S.- On Tuesday, December 22, we're hosting one of our last events of the year, a conference-call discussion of the attack on Israel's civil liberties with B'Tselem's CEO Hagai El-Ad. RSVP now.
