Several large, mainstream Jewish groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, have to decided to vote in favor of admitting the dovish Israel lobby J Street into organized Jewry’s primary umbrella group on Israel. Others, like the Jewish Federations of North America, are leaning towards voting that way, according to informed sources.There is no problem with "dovish" organizations being members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which is scheduled to vote Wednesday on J Street’s request for admission, is conducting its process under a shroud of secrecy. The decision will be made in a closed-envelope ballot, and most of the member organizations remained tight-lipped regarding their expected vote.
There is a problem with admitting a member that consistently misrepresents itself as being "pro-Israel."
J-Street pretends that it is being vilified because it supports a two-state solution, and that is its constant refrain, in its press releases and on its website.
But the State of Israel also accepts a two-state solution.
Yet on every substantive issue where there is a disagreement between Israel and the PLO, J-Street sides with the PLO. In no universe can that be considered "pro-Israel."
As if that weren't bad enough, J-Street demands that Americans lobby their elected representatives to pressure Israel, and only Israel, to make concessions - to those who happily admit that they consider Israel their enemy.
J-Street has no respect for Israeli democracy. It wants third parties to force a solution on Israel that most Israelis have proven - with their votes - that they do not support.
The only reason that J-Street has any traction is its deception in pretending that it is merely interested in two states. But the two states it wants would involve the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Jews, it would create a situation where Jewish holy places are off limits to Jews, it would create borders that are indefensible. And it would empower people who brag in Arabic that their state is merely a stage to destroying Israel.
If that is what Israelis want, that would be fine. But they don't.
Why would the Conference of Presidents want to admit a deceptive, anti-Israel organization?
Even though Americans for Peace Now is already a member, and they also lobby US officials to pressure Israel, at least their parent organization tries to work within Israel's democracy to some extent. J-Street is beyond the pale.
Although the vote will be secret (which is outrageous - members of the organizations deserve to know how their leaders vote!) you can still write to the member organizations of the Conference and let them know why they should vote against J-Street's admission on Wednesday.
And demand that they make their vote public.