• Contends that "Israel's settlements in the occupied territories have, for over forty years, been an obstacle to peace"
• Warned that Israel's choice to take military action to stop Hamas' terrorist attacks "will prove counter-productive and only deepen the cycle of violence in the region"
• Cautioned against Israeli efforts to topple Hamas, on grounds that the latter "has been the government, law and order, and service provider since it won the [Palestinian] elections in January 2006
• Supported by multi-billionaire financier George Soros

Founded in April 2008, the Washington, DC-based J Street describes itself deceptively as "the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement." The "J" in the organization's name connotes, in part, its predominantly Jewish character. The name is significant also because no J Street exists among Washington's alphabetically named streets—but if it did exist, it would run parallel to K Street, which is famous for the lobbyists and advocacy groups that base their activities there.

J Street, which sees itself as an anti-AIPAC, consists of both an advocacy group that seeks to influence public opinion and foreign policy, and a political action committee (PAC) that donates money to various causes. As of late 2008, J Street reported that its Internet website already had registered some 100,000 subscribers to receive its periodic email alerts and communiqués.

J Street was founded "to promote meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israel conflicts peacefully and diplomatically." Key to this, says J Street, will be "a new direction for American policy in the Middle East," a direction that recognizes "the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign state of their own"—where Palestine and Israel live "side-by-side in peace and security." Toward this end, J Street supports "diplomatic solutions over military ones," "multilateral over unilateral approaches to conflict resolution," and "dialogue over confrontation." Israel's partner in such a dialog would necessarily be Hamas, which holds the reins of political power in the Palestinian territories and denies Israel's right to exist.

J Street traces the Mideast conflict chiefly to the notion that "Israel's settlements in the occupied territories have, for over forty years, been an obstacle to peace." Those settlements, adds J Street, have "undermine[d] peace prospects by making Palestinians doubt Israeli motives and commitment."

Outlining its views on the late 2008-early 2009 conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, J Street said that "Israel has the right and obligation to defend its citizens from short and long-term threats, such as [the Hamas] rocket attacks [which had been launched at Israel in large numbers]—including taking military action designed to address the specific threat." But the organization also warned that Israel's choice to "escalat[e] the conflict" inevitably "will prove counter-productive and only deepen the cycle of violence in the region"; "will deepen animosity between the Palestinian and Israeli people"; and "will ignite further anger across the Middle East." "[I]n the end," J Street said, "the only way to truly halt rocket fire into southern Israel is a diplomatic solution."

Moreover, J Street cautioned against Israeli efforts to topple Hamas, on grounds that the latter "has been the government, law and order, and service provider since it won the [Palestinian] elections in January 2006 and especially since June 2007 when it took complete control."

In the 2008 election cycle, J Street's PAC officially endorsed 41 congressional candidates, 39 of whom were Democrats. All told, the PAC distributed $578,812 to their campaigns. Among the more notable candidates to win J Street's support were several members of the Democratic Party's socialist wing, the Progressive Caucus. Those members included Representatives Keith Ellison, Bob Filner, Michael Capuano, Barney Frank, Maurice Hinchey, Charles Rangel, Jan Schakowsky, Hilda Solis, Steve Cohen, George Miller, and Robert Wexler.

J Street proudly declares that it works "united with other organizations in the pro-Israel, pro-peace community," citing specifically:

• Americans for Peace Now, which alleges that Israeli provocations are responsible for the conflict with Palestinians;
• Brit Tzedek v'Shalom (a.k.a. Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace), a human rights group that is highly critical of Israel and has collaborated with George Soros' Open Society Institute to promote "Breaking the Silence"—a speaking tour of former Israeli soldiers critical of the way Israel treats the Palestinians;
• Israel Policy Forum; and
• B'Tselem

George Soros supported J Street's creation and was formally associated with the organization for a brief time after its inception. Like J Street, Soros places the lion's share of the blame for the Arab-Israeli conflict on Israel.

Soon after J Street launched its activities, however, Soros stepped away from the group—at least in terms of his public association with it—for fear that his controversial reputation might scare off other potential supporters. But in his behind-the-scenes role with J Street, Soros remained a powerful influence on the organization. J Street's Advisory Council includes a number of individuals with very close ties to the billionaire. Among them are the following:

• Gail Furman and Deborah Sagner, Board members of the Soros-funded Democracy Alliance;
• Sheldon Drobny, co-founder of the Soros-funded Air America Radio;
• Maria Echaveste, Senior Fellow at the Soros-funded Center for American Progress, Board of Directors member of the Soros-funded People for the American Way, and Board of Advisors member of the Soros-funded American Constitution Society;
• Morton Halperin, Senior Vice President of the Center for American Progress and Director of Soros' Open Society Policy Center;
• Robert Malley, a Director for the Soros-funded International Crisis Group, on whose Board and Executive Committee Soros himself sits; and
• Eli Pariser, Executive Director of the Soros-funded MoveOn.org.

Other notable members of the J Street Advisory Council are: 

• Eric Alterman, a CUNY journalism professor who has lauded Soros;
• Peter Edelman and Larry Garber, high-ranking officials of the New Israel Fund; and
• Marcia Freedman, the founding President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

J Street identifies Avram Burg as one of its leading supporters. Burg says that "Israel, having ceased to care about the children of the Palestinians, should not be surprised when they [suicide bombers] come washed in hatred and blow themselves up in the centres of Israeli escapism." He also likens modern-day Israel to Nazi Germany.


This profile is adapted from the article "A Street Named Surrender," written by John Perazzo and published by FrontPageMag.com on January 12, 2009.