J Street: Stop Endorsing Incitement
J Street: Stop Endorsing Incitement
On May 21st, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were murdered outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in the heart of Washington, DC. They were hunted down because they were Jews, by a terrorist acting in the name of “Free Palestine.”
11 days later, another terrorist in Boulder, Colorado, firebombed a peaceful gathering of pro-Israel activists calling to free the hostages. He screamed “End Zionists” as he hurled Molotov cocktails at the crowd.
These terror attacks weren’t random. They are the horrific result of toxic anti-Israel incitement that has been mainstreamed at rallies, universities, and by members of Congress.
After both attacks, J Street put out nice statements condemning the hatred that inspired each travesty. But J Street’s words don’t match its actions. J Street endorses Senators and House members who regularly amplify anti-Israel incitement and blood libel, often embracing these elected officials as their “champions.”
Senator Bernie Sanders accuses Israel’s democratically elected leader “a war criminal.”
Senator Chris Van Hollen blames Israel for “ethnic cleansing.”
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal brands Israel “a racist state” and Congresswoman Summer Lee peddles the smear of Israeli “genocide.”
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez calls Israel’s fight against Hamas “a campaign to ethnically cleanse Gaza.”
Last month, when news networks ran with the blatant lie fueled by a UN official that 14,000 babies in Gaza will die within 48 hours, Congressman Mark Pocan amplified the blood libel with his own knee-jerk post calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be tried for war crimes. One day later, Sarah and Yaron were murdered. Even after the truth was exposed, he kept the post live.
Sanders, Van Hollen, and Pocan have all been endorsed by J Street. Jayapal, Lee, and Ramirez were endorsed by both J Street and Jewish Voice for Peace.
How can J Street claim to oppose the rhetoric that leads to violence when its allies in Congress are themselves using it?
What does it say about organizations that claim to speak for the Jewish community when they actively promote leaders who amplify slanders of Israel and provoke more hate against Jews and Zionists?
We can, and should, preserve space for debate and dialogue about the best course for Israel’s future. There is plenty of room for discussion about settlement policy and the future of the two-state solution.
But this is a moment for moral clarity – and action. Those who use their platforms to spew vicious lies about Israel, dehumanize Zionists, and demonize Jews must be called out and condemned.
The stakes could not be higher. It’s time for groups like J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace, and their allies to take a hard look in the mirror and stop supporting those fueling the hatred and violence that’s targeting our community.
