Jones Will Speak With Wexler at J Street Conference
I’m at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, where at 1 p.m., retired Gen. Jim Jones, President Obama’s national security adviser, will deliver a keynote speech on the
Jul 31, 2020103.7K Shares1.4M Views
I’m at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, where at 1 p.m., retired Gen. Jim Jones, President Obama’s national security adviser, will deliver a keynote speech on the administration’s approach to peacemaking in the Middle East to the first annual conference assembled by J Street, the year-old pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby. He’ll be part of a panel with Robert Wexler, the Florida congressman and Obama ally who recently announced his resignation to work for an American Jewish peace organization. My understanding is that Wexler will give something of a reply or critique of Jones’ position.
J Street has been the target of a campaign of delegitimization from some of the more traditional Israel lobby groups, particularly the groups’ rightward flank, which hold that J Street’s pursuit of peace during a hawkish Netanyahu administration make it suspect or inauthentically pro-Israel. Twelve members of Congress cancelled their affiliation with the J Street host committee — leaving a mere rump of 148members of Congress. “It feels very historic,” said Amy Spitalnick, a J Street spokeswoman, about the conference’s political credibility, backed by over 1,500 attendees. “It’s the largest gathering of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement” to date.
Rhyley Carney
Reviewer
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