J Street declares war on Israel

By Lenny Ben-David, JNS

“We hope for the day when an Israeli government demonstrates a meaningful commitment to peaceful coexistence with its Palestinian neighbors," it said.

In his recent “No More Blank Checks” declaration, J Street founder and president Jeremy Ben-Ami has taken a more dramatic and hostile turn. While claiming to be a “pro-Israel” organization, its latest demands amount to a public campaign to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense, delegitimize its elected government, and embolden its enemies.

This is not constructive criticism; it is a declaration of political warfare against the Jewish state.

J Street calls for “new, stricter limits on offensive arms to Israel” and urges Congress to halt military support unless Israel complies with its political demands. This is not about peace; it’s about coercion. Israel faces existential threats from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

To suggest that the U.S. should condition its support on Israel’s willingness to adopt J Street’s vision of diplomacy is reckless and dangerous. It ignores the reality that Israel’s security decisions are made in response to real-world threats, not ideological fantasies.

J Street’s Lie #1: “We remain firmly committed to ensuring Israel has defensive systems like Iron Dome to protect civilians.”

•  Dylan Williams, then J Street’s chief lobbyist, lobbied in 2021 against replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome missiles: “The question is whether a wealthy country like Israel actually needs an additional $1 billion from a partner [the U.S.] already struggling to meet the myriad needs of its own citizens in difficult times to pay for it,” Williams wrote.

J Street’s Lie #2: “We firmly believe the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in the land of Israel and must be able to defend themselves from external threats.”

• J Street has consistently challenged Israeli actions against Hamas: On Oct. 19, 2023, it wrote, “J Street stands with the Israeli people in their grief. ... At the same time, we are profoundly worried for the safety of the over 2 million Palestinian civilians in Gaza—half of whom are children—as this conflict turns their streets and their homes into an active war zone.”

• Ben-Ami said on Aug. 3 that he was “persuaded” by arguments that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

•  J Street opposed Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor: “An Israeli presence on the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border is not essential to Israel’s security needs and is only undermining chances of reaching an agreement.”

•  J Street opposed Israel’s “invasion” of Hamas’s stronghold of Rafah. On May 24, 2024, “J Street reiterates our deep concern about Israeli military operations in Rafah and supports the position of President Biden and the international community, which have repeatedly made clear that an invasion of Rafah, without adequate plans for the protection of civilians, cannot continue.”

•   J Street objects to current Israeli operations directed at Gaza City, Hamas’s “capital”: “This [Netanyahu] government has launched its reckless Gaza City offensive.”

•  J Street urged senators to support resolutions blocking U.S. arms sales to Israel in November 2024. J Street focused on “heavy bombs” -- bunker-busters, used to penetrate deep underground to destroy Hamas facilities and tunnels and Iran’s underground nuclear facilities.

J Street’s portrayal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as “messianic extremists” is not just inflammatory—it’s anti-democratic. Israel is a vibrant democracy, and its citizens choose its leaders. To vilify an elected government and call for punitive measures against it is to reject the legitimacy of Israeli democracy itself.

J Street’s rhetoric drives a wedge between American Jews and Israelis, sowing division at a time when unity is most needed. Ben-Ami’s organization seeks to rip apart the longstanding bipartisan support for Israel in Congress and shepherd the Democratic Party into the anti-Israel radical camp.

J Street claims to be guided by Jewish ethics, invoking the principle “do not treat others as we would not want to be treated ourselves.” Yet it fails to apply this principle to Hamas, a terrorist organization that targets civilians, uses human shields, and openly calls for Israel’s destruction. By focusing its ire almost exclusively on Israel, J Street creates a false moral equivalence between a democratic state defending itself and a terrorist regime bent on annihilation.

J Street’s vision of peace—one that hinges on pressuring Israel into concessions while ignoring Palestinian murder, incitement, corruption, and rejectionism—is a fantasy, one rejected by Israel’s citizens. Real peace requires mutual recognition, security guarantees, and an end to terrorism. By calling for restrictions on Israel’s ability to defend itself, J Street empowers those who seek to destroy it. That is not peace advocacy; it is sabotage.

Ben-Ami may claim J Street supports Israel, but its actions tell a different story. By lobbying to cut off military aid, demonizing Israel’s leadership, and promoting a one-sided narrative, it has positioned itself not as a partner for peace but as an adversary. In doing so, J Street has declared war—not on violence or extremism, but on Israel itself.