Report: J Street sought to undermine US military aid to Israel - Israel Hayom Staff

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by Israel Hayom Staff

The plan to offset US military aid with money Israel invests in settlements, according to "The Intercept," was ultimately torpedoed by Yael Patir, the group's Israel director, who warned that J Street would lose any influence it has in the Knesset or Israeli politics in general if it endorses conditioning military aid.

The Intercept news site, predicated on investigative reporting and publishing classified documents, has reported that the left-wing Jewish-American lobby J Street intended to undermine US military aid to Israel by promoting a policy to offset it with money Israel invests in settlements.

According to the report, a letter signed by 35 people who served on the J Street U board from 2013 to 2019, proposed “that J Street develop a strategy that moves the organization toward an agenda of selective aid reduction, i.e. every shekel the Israeli government spends on settlements and home demolitions results in a proportional reduction of American military aid.”

When the controversial policy was discussed internally at J Street earlier this year, according to the report, it seemed that J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and, as a result, the board, was ready to back it. However, sources familiar with the debate told The Intercept that objections from Yael Patir, J Street’s Tel Aviv-based Israel director, torpedoed it. Specifically, Patir warned that J Street would lose any influence it has left in the Knesset or Israeli politics in general if it endorsed conditioning military aid.

Patir said in response: "J Street is proud of being a broad movement encompassing a wide variety of supporters with different views and backgrounds, all of whom are committed to our mission, support for Israel and the diplomatic process. Internal discussions at J Street are conducted in a spirit of openness and attentiveness; with that, ultimately the organization has one official policy that guides us in our work in the United States and Israel."

J Street said in a statement: "We are committed to and are working for the security and prosperity of Israel and believe a diplomatic arrangement leading to the two-state solution is an American and Israeli interest alike. For this reason, we supported and continue to support the largest-ever US aid package to Israel which was signed under [former] President Obama."


Israel Hayom Staff

Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/12/17/report-j-street-sought-to-undermine-us-military-aid-to-israel/

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