Just months before being hired by J Street in 2012, the author of the tirade discussed below, Alan Elsner, was arguing that Israel “spurred terrorism” by withdrawing from Gaza and “quite properly refuses to accept preconditions” for peace talks. Wonder what changed his mind? |
PHILADELPHIA – April 25, 2017 – J Street has honored the Middle East Forum by calling our work “truly terrifying” and “medieval.”
Coming from this wild-eyed far-left, anti-Israel precinct, we can’t think of finer praise for our efforts to find a path to Israeli-Palestinian peace.
J Street’s April 19th screed, ponderously titled “Congressmen Team With ‘Anti-Muslim Extremist’ to Launch ‘Defeat Palestinians’ Caucus,” attacks ideas behind the recently-formed Congressional Israel Victory Caucus (CIVC). The caucus is chaired by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), with support from the Middle East Forum.
Responding to some of J Street’s specific points:
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J Street: The new approach pushes the “myth that Israel can end the conflict by using brute force and repression.”
As for “repression,” it is the Palestinian Authority and Hamas – both non-democratic, non-law-abiding tyrannies – that engage in wholesale repression of the Palestinian people, not Israel.
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J Street: The new approach seeks to “make the Palestinians accept their eternal statelessness.”
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J Street: The new approach holds that “Israel can only make peace by defeating the Palestinians and breaking their will to resist.”
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J Street: “The Southern Poverty Law Center has called [Middle East Forum President Daniel Pipes] an ‘anti-Muslim extremist’.”
Far from being anti-Muslim, challenging Islamism means standing by the majority of Muslims who do not subscribe to this creed. The Forum not only expresses support for reformist Muslims but provides financial backing to some of them from its own resources.
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J Street: "[B]acking the new caucus is the Christians United for Israel Action Fund, the legislative arm of Christians United for Israel – a fundamentalist group well known for funding Israeli settlements.”
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Israeli governments have tried the golden rule and diplomacy since 1989; sadly, their good-will efforts have led to more hostility. Palestinians won’t accept that their efforts to eradicate the Jewish state have failed until the world – including the muddle-headed do-gooders at J Street – firmly tells them to give up this goal. That’s our core message.
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The Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia-based think tank, is dedicated to defining American interests in the Middle East and protecting America from Islamist threats. It achieves its goals through intellectual, activist, and philanthropic efforts.
For more information, contact:
Laura Frank
(215)546-5406 ex.110
Frank@MEForum.org