Why I, an Israeli, Work for J Street

As an Israeli, it’s not obvious to dedicate your career to influencing American policy. But for me, joining J Street—a pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy American organization—has been one of the most deeply patriotic things I’ve ever done.

More than a dozen Israelis are currently on J Street staff, and dozens more have worked for the organization over the past 17 years.

This fall, I mark a decade with J Street. What drew me in then is what keeps me here now: this organization’s unique role in helping shape US policy that supports a secure, democratic future for Israel, and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a time when other voices call for deepening occupation, more fear, and more division, J Street stands firmly for a vision of Israel that aligns with my values—one of hope, justice, and peace.

I was born and raised on Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, where the spirit of Jewish heroism loomed large—Hannah Senesh trained there before parachuting into Nazi-occupied Europe. Our other claim to fame was Israel’s first Olympic gold medalist, Gal Friedman, who happens to be married to my cousin. But it wasn’t sports or history that shaped my politics. It was the 1992 Israeli elections. I was a teenager handing out flyers for Rabin’s Labor party, thrilled by the honks and energy around real political change. Two years later, during my army service at Rachel’s Tomb, I heard the terrible news: Rabin had been shot. Within hours, the ultra-Orthodox men around me were dancing in celebration. I carried not only my own weapon that day, but my friend’s, too—he was too enraged to trust himself with it.

That moment—and many others—cemented in me a belief that silence in the face of extremism is complicity.

I saw up close what extremism and blind hatred can do. As a commander in the IDF, I spent eight months stationed in the Philadelphi Corridor, holding a volatile strip between Gazan and Egyptian Rafah—an impossible, unsustainable task. Years later, I studied conflict resolution and worked at the Peres Center for Peace, helping to connect Israeli and Palestinian youth through soccer. It was powerful, hopeful work—but never enough.

I moved to the US in 2012 as a shaliach (emissary), tasked with deepening connections between liberal Jewish communities and Israel. That’s when I found J Street—and found my political home. I found people who, like me, loved Israel too much to stay silent. People determined to hold American policymakers accountable when they enable destructive Israeli policies, and who proudly advocate for diplomacy, not endless conflict.

It wasn’t enough for them to take the obvious, conventional steps of blanket support for Israel. They understood like I did, through their love and concern, that to ensure Israel is “living up to its democratic aspirations and ideals,” as Rabbi Angela Buchdahl eloquently said recently, requires deep introspection and advocating for, at times, tough-love policies. Simply put, I saw in J Street the same values put into action as the ones instilled in me in Israel.

Working for J Street not only aligns with my politics, but it affords me the opportunity to continue the work in the spirit of my time as a shaliach. At a time when everything to do with Israel feels so controversial and American society has become polarized on almost every issue, it is essential for Israel’s long-term security that Americans of every stripe see the value of our bilateral relationship. In the everyday work I do for J Street, I am able to build connections with lawmakers, clergy, and young Jewish Americans–demonstrating to them that Israel is not monolithic, that Israel is not just its government, and there is a significant bloc of Israeli society that reflects their own progressive, democratic, and, yes, Jewish values. It is absolutely critical that Americans understand that Israel is politically diverse and there are many ways to demonstrate support for the Jewish homeland. For me and thousands more, J Street is our expression of being pro-Israel.

Today, J Street plays an indispensable role in US foreign policy debates. We push back on blank checks to Israel’s most extreme government in history. We work with Congress to fight antisemitism without undermining freedom of speech, defend Israeli democracy, and support meaningful diplomacy over war. We amplify the voices of Israeli security leaders, civil society activists, and human rights defenders whose voices should be heard in Washington.

Working for J Street isn’t just a job. It’s a continuation of my Zionist journey—one rooted in courage, conscience, and the unshakable belief that a better future for Israel is not only possible, but worth fighting for.