J Street's favorite, Rep. Lynn Woolsey: "Proud" of woman who disrupted Congressional session with Netanyahu

Rep. Lynn Woolsey was one of five Members of Congress on J Street's recent congressional mission to Israel "and Palestine."  J Street's PAC endorsed her in the 2010 elections.  On June 19, Woolsey appeared on stage with Rae Abileah, the CodePink activist who disrupted Prime Minister's address to Congress. 

Note Woolsey pumping her hand in the air as Abileah chants to cut US aid to Israel.  She then takes the podium and expresses her pride in Abileah's actions.

Woolsey's comments were so outrageous that the National Jewish Democratic Committee demanded her apology. Will J Street condemn or endorse her comments?.  Will J Street endorse or condemn her comments?

NJDC on Rep. Woolsey’s Apparent Support of Netanyahu Speech Disrupter

David A. Harris — June 23, 2011 – 4:02 pm |
It’s deeply unfortunate to see video of Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) turning to the protester who screamed at and disrupted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address before Congress and saying, “you made me proud.” Interrupting any dignitary invited to speak before Congress in this way is wrong, especially when it’s the leader of the Jewish State of Israel—the one true democracy in the Middle East, and America’s staunch, strategic ally. On other issues, Woolsey makes us proud, but today she did not. The protester’s rude “protest” was deeply unacceptable and we urge Woolsey to apologize for her remarks in this video.

J Street's five Congressmen earn their PAC contributions

J Street's congressional delegation of (from left) Reps. John
Yarmuth, Betty McCollum, Lynn Woolsey,
 Steve Cohen and Sam Farr 

J Street's political action committee gave Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) almost $40,000 and Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) $20,000 for their 2010 election campaigns.  The other three Members of Congress on J Street's recent congressional delegation to the Middle East --  Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)  -- joined Cohen and Yarmuth in their meetings with Palestinian leadership in Ramallah.  All five members received J Street's election endorsement. 

The following is an account from the Palestinian news agency Wafa about their meeting:

US Lawmakers say Israeli Settlements Impede Peace Process

By Reem Qadan

RAMALLAH, June 7, 2011 (WAFA) – A delegation of five US Congress representatives Tuesday criticized Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory describing the settlements as an impediment to peace.

Speaking after meeting Foreign Minister Riyad Malki in Ramallah, Congressman John Yarmouth said “the settlement policy is an impediment to the peace process and to negotiations,” urging Israel to “follow a different perspective.”

He called on Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations, stressing that the two sides should not put pre-conditions for resumption of negotiations.

Congressman Steve Cohen said the visit aimed to accelerate the peace process. He encouraged both Israelis and Palestinians to take actions, resume negotiations and give peace a chance.

He praised Palestinian leaders’ commitment to proceeding with substantial negotiations.

Malki considered the visit “important for efforts to reach a peace agreement....”

The American Jewish lobby group, J-Street, organized the Congress representatives visit to the Palestinian Territory. They had also met with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other Palestinian officials.

"The Wayback Machine" allows us to see J Street webpages that they tried to erase

The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine puts the history of the World Wide Web at your fingertips.  Organizations such as J Street may try to erase embarrassing webpages, but with the Wayback Machine program you can recover those pages. 

Here is a selection of pages that J Street attempted to delete:

 J Street's Response to the Gaza crisis

Jan 16, 2009

While the military response by the Israeli Defense forces can be understood and even justified in the wake of recent Hamas rocket attacks, we believe that a military response that is disproportionate and escalatory will ultimately prove counterproductive, igniting further anger in the region and damaging long-term prospects for peace and stability for Israel, the Palestinians, the whole region.

Was Israel justified in attacking Hamas?

Israel has the right and obligation to defend its citizens from short and long-term threats, such as rocket attacks – including taking military action designed to address the specific threat.
The more relevant question is whether Israel’s attack on Hamas will accomplish its security goals. Retaliation is inevitable, though we don’t know how far the violence will spread or how many more Israelis and Palestinians will die and suffer in the days and weeks to come. We think escalating the conflict will prove counter-productive and only deepen the cycle of violence in the region. This attack will deepen animosity between the Palestinian and Israeli people. It will further damage the international standing of both Israel and the United States.

Rep. Delahunt (D-MA) introduces resolution supporting Middle East Envoy George Mitchell

Congressman Delahunt introduced House Resolution 130 with 31 original co-sponsors from both parties praising the appointment of Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.
"There's a fresh breeze blowing in Washington when it comes to American policy toward Israel and the Middle East," said Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of J Street, of the resolution introduced by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Ma).

Israel's New Foreign Minister: Avigdor Lieberman

J Street is deeply concerned about what Avigdor Lieberman’s recent strong showing in Israeli elections, and the key role he is playing as Foreign Minister in the new Israeli government, mean for the US-Israel relationship.

1. Watch our video on Avigdor Lieberman on the right.
2. Sign our open letter asking Jewish community leaders to speak out forcefully against his inflammatory platform and rhetoric and stand up for peace, justice, and democracy here.
3. Read our statement immediately following the Israeli elections congratulating the winners and expressing concern about what Avigdor Lieberman represents. .

Freeze means freeze  Posted: May 28, 2009

Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a full settlement freeze, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that President Obama "wants to see a stop to settlements - not some settlements, not outposts, not natural-growth exceptions."

Amen. A freeze means a freeze. This is exactly the sort of leadership we need from the President and Secretary of State if we are going to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - the only way to truly secure Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic homeland.

J Street's Congressional delegation to Israel not well received. Most were signers of the infamous "Letter of 54"

J Street is whining today that Israel's leadership "refused" to meet with a J Street-led group consisting of five Members of Congress.  

Ben-Ami with Egypt's Ambassador to US

"I just don't really understand what would be in Israel's interest to refuse to meet with members of Congress who are year in and year out supporters," J Street head Jeremy Ben-Ami told JTA. "Why would one not welcome them when the greatest threat to Israel's safety is growing international isolation?" 

Why?  Maybe it's because J Street consistently works to undermine Israel's standing in Washington, at the UN, and on campuses.  As for the five Congressmen, Israel would normally meet with such a group.  But J Street erred on at least three accounts.

First, this week Israel is celebrating the Shavuot holiday, a bad week to schedule meetings in Israel.  All government offices are closed on Wednesday, but already on Tuesday, offices work half day, if it all.   For J Street, however, that won't impair their meetings with Egyptian and Palestinian leaders.

Second, the last congressional delegation J Street brought to Israel was co-sponsored by a group called the "Churches for Middle East Peace" whose members call for boycotts against Israel.

Third, in January 2010, after Israel conducted operation "Molten Lead" to stop Hamas rockets from Gaza, 54 Members of Congress appealed to President Obama to stop Israel's blockade of Gaza.  J Street drafted the one-sided letter and was joined by several distinctly anti-Israel organizations. 

Four of the five members of the current delegaton signed the infamous Letter of 54.  Here is the text as reproduced in the Minnesota Independent of January 26, 2010.

“The people of Gaza have suffered enormously since the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt following Hamas’ coup, and particularly following Operation Cast Lead. ... The unabated suffering of Gazan civilians highlights the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts,” the letter urges. “The current blockade has severely impeded the ability of aid agencies to do their work to relieve suffering.”

Among the groups supporting the letter: J Street, The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), The American Near East Refugee Association (ANERA), The Methodist Church, The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and Rabbis for Human Rights.

“We also sympathize deeply with the people of southern Israel who have suffered from abhorrent rocket and mortar attacks,” the letter states. “We recognize that the Israeli government has imposed restrictions on Gaza out of a legitimate and keenly felt fear of continued terrorist action by Hamas and other militant groups. This concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. Truly, fulfilling the needs of civilians in Israel and Gaza are mutually reinforcing goals.”

The four Members who signed and are currently visiting Israel are Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ken.).  Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) was not listed on the letter.

All five were endorsed by J Street's Political Action Committee and were recipients of PAC money.

After the delegation met with Egypt's foreign minister on June 5, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a press release which stated, "Noteworthy that the visit is organized by the Moderate American Jewish Organization “J Street,” which aims at spreading peace culture in the American society."  Maybe the "Moderate Organization" should stick to "American society" and leave the Middle East delegation business to more trusted Jewish organizations.

J Street head admits the "Israeli occupation" is their foremost concern

 J Street's "Leadership Mission to Israel and Palestine" earlier this month met with Rabbi Daniel Gordis from the Shalem College.  Here's a sample of how the scholar blasted J Street:

You believe that people who are not willing to make major territorial concessions to the Palestinians right now are not serious about a two-state solution. You think that those of us who claim that we favor a two-state solution but who are not willing to give up the store at this moment are bluffing. Or we're liars. Or, at best, we're well-intentioned but misguided. But bottom line, if we're not willing now to make the concessions that you think are called for, then we're not really pursuing peace.  But that is arrogance of the worst sort. Does your distance from the conflict give you some moral clarity that we don't have? Are you smarter than we are? Are you less racist? Why do you assume with such certainty that you have a monopoly on the wisdom needed to get to the goal we both seek?

J Street's head, Jeremy Ben-Ami, opened the questioning of Dr. Gordis with this gem, showing J Street's true concern:   According to Gordis, Ben-Ami said that he found it "astounding" that I had given an entire presentation "without mentioning the occupation of another people."

Read Rabbi Gordis' powerful response.

On cue: J Street leaves Abu Mazen and runs a New York Times ad

Remember the U.S. - Israel dust-up last year over the building of new housing in Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish neighborhood in north Jerusalem, announced during Vice President Biden's visit to Israel.  Just as things were calming down, J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami held meetings in the White House.  Soon thereafter J Street ran ads in the New York Times critical of Israel.  Was it a coincidence?

Last week, Ben-Ami led a J Street delegation to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).  Today, Ben-Ami announced J Street would run ads in the New York Times calling for recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Another coincidence?

The ad is a copy of one that ran in Israel signed by former Israeli officials, retired Israeli academic dignitaries and ex-IDF officers. The word "former" is key.  Many of the signers are Israelis who were "ex-ed" by the Israeli public. Losers. Their popularity, policies, and parties were rejected by the Israeli electorate, undoubtedly even less impressed today after the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and the Nakba attacks on Israel's borders.

"The Elders" - a client of Ben-Ami's PR company - isn't welcome at the State Department

Carter demonstrating at Sheikh Jarah
against Israeli policy in Jerusalem

"The Elders" is a client of Ben-Or Communications in Israel -- co-founded and co-owned by J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami.  The Elders organization, headed by Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu, is one of Israel's most vocal critics.

Recently, some of the Elders traveled to North Korea, upsetting officials in both Washington and Seoul. According to Josh Rogen at Foreign Policy, Carter and his friends "had been eager to give their readout of their meetings in North Korea April 26 and 27 to U.S. officials and press their case for a resumption of food aid to the Hermit Kingdom."

The response at the State Department? "State Department Snubs the Elders," is the headline in Foreign Policy.  Secretary of State Clinton was asked if she would meet Carter. Her reported response, "Hell no!"

Israel should take a lesson.