Chronicle poll results: AIPAC or J Street?
We asked our readers which lobbying group — AIPAC or J Street — they support or mostly agree with. Here's what they said.
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Which of these two lobbying groups — AIPAC and J Street — do you support or mostly agree with?” Of the 266 people who responded, 47% said AIPAC, 33% said J Street, 15% said neither and 5% said both. Comments were submitted by 74 people. A few follow.
Reducing Israel-related political engagement to “AIPAC or J Street” flattens a much wider spectrum of views into a false binary, when in reality the two share significant common ground and differ mainly on strategy and specific policies rather than on Israel’s security and very existence.
AIPAC is a bipartisan organization that supports a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.
J Street takes a balanced view and is willing to call out Israel when it is wrong.
Neither group has accepted the reality that there is no vision for ensuring the only path toward a lasting peace: Israelis and Palestinians living together with mutual respect.
J Street has lost the plot and has supported candidates and policies that make American Jews less safe.
I think AIPAC has disgraced Judaism by its amoral nationalism that it has promoted with bucketloads of money. J Street is an incredibly honorable and competent advocate for morally supporting Israel without discarding the values of Torah — justice in particular — as has AIPAC. Without J Street’s existence, I might feel I needed to give up on Judaism and Israel completely.
While my emotional connection to AIPAC seems to modulate in relation to my support for specific Israeli governments and policy decisions, J Street’s positions are increasingly becoming indistinguishable from Jewish anti-Zionist organizations like IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. In this respect, J Street may be the most dangerous organization for Jews in America.
Anti-Zionism IS antisemitism. J Street’s policies harm Israel and so they harm Jews worldwide.
AIPAC supports Republicans and racist anti-choice candidates. Why would I support them?
J Street doesn’t see the forest behind the trees. Total support of Israel is very important in the current situation even if the Israeli government makes some mistakes.
I don’t agree with J Street’s prior decision to support Rep. Summer Lee, but otherwise, mainly agree with their positions and actions. For someone who unconditionally “supports” Israel, including the Netanyahu administration and all its actions, AIPAC is the way to go. Most of us see nuance and believe there’s room to be pro-Israel, but oppose its current government.
It often seems these two groups are competing with one another to get the world to say, “all Jews agree with this group.” Unfortunately, often the world does not see the differences — people perceive it as a bunch of Jews asserting themselves. PJC
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