Israeli government fears Jewish group's 'pro-peace' agenda

Published Date: 24 October 2009
By Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem
ISRAEL'S right-wing government is worried by the emergence of a new Jewish lobbying group in Washington that opposes its expansion of West Bank settlements and wants to see an equitable peace compromise with the Palestinians rather than Israeli annexation of occupied territory.

The dovish group, J Street, will be holding a three-day gathering of about 1,200 activists it describes as being both "pro-Israel" and "pro-peace" beginning tomorrow in the American capital. The meeting marks a challenge to the dominance of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful lobbying group that supports the policies of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and which critics say wields too much influence over congress and US Middle East policy.

The Netanyahu government's wariness about J Street came to the fore this week when the Israeli ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, declined an invitation to attend the conference.

An embassy statement said there were "concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel".

However, the Obama administration is supportive of the gathering and the president's national security adviser, Jim Jones, will be keynote speaker.

The conference comes during a critical period in US-Israeli relations, with Israel relying on US acquiescence to continue its expansion of illegal West Bank settlements and on US support for its efforts to contain the fallout of a damning United Nations inquiry alleging its soldiers committed "war crimes" during last winter's Gaza war.

Officials in Jerusalem are declining to comment on the J Street gathering. But Zalman Shoval, a former senior adviser to Mr Netanyahu, said the J Street conference "undermines the activities of AIPAC which have been very beneficial to Israel and the United States".

Mr Shoval, a former ambassador in Washington, added: "J Street vociferously opposes the position of the elected government of Israel."

J Street calls for a leading US role in trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It stipulates that a peace deal should be based on a two-state solution along the borders that prevailed before the June, 1967 war with minor adjustments.

"Israel will no longer exist as a Jewish, democratic state if there is no two-state solution with the Palestinians," said J Street spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick. The reason: Palestinians, who have a higher birth rate than Jews, will become a majority if Israel retains control of the West Bank."

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