Isaac Luria, Campaigns Director for J Street, discusses his organization’s attempt to represent the majority opinion of American Jews on Israel policy, Obama’s limited time to leverage his political capital and push for a 2-state solution, why a second Israel lobby is good news for progressive U.S. politicians and how evenhanded U.S. diplomacy lessens the influence of radicals in Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
Also see: Haaretz's: U.S. Jews split over Obama's Israel remarks in Cairo speech
"President Barack Obama, in his major speech in Cairo this morning, struck a balanced tone with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that's what was wrong with this speech," said Director Matthew Brooks, Republican Jewish Coalition Executive. "American policy should not be balanced - it should side with those who fight terror, not those who either engage in it or are too weak to prevent it."
Dovish pro-peace lobby J Street applauded the address, in which Obama reaffirmed U.S. commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called on Israel to halt settlement building.
"The President was clear. Palestinians must renounce violence and accept Israel's existence, Israel must stop settlement activity and end the humiliation of the Palestinian people that comes with their occupation, and the broader Arab world must step up to a more constructive role as well," said Jeremy Ben-Ami, J-Street Executive Director
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