J Progressive Tsedek Forum? J Street Acquisitions And Mergers

Ami Isseroff

Israel News

06 September 09

In the end, it's all about money. That's what brought the nominally Zionist Union of Progressive Zionists under the umbrella of the very nominally pro-Israel J Street, which gets money from the American Iranian Council among others, and "boasts" (if that is the word) people like Henry Siegman on its board. And that will evidently bring Brit Tsedek Veshalom into the fold too. It might also bring the moribund Israel Policy Forum, which seems to spend $1.7 million on just about nothing (they had 3 staffers, but one, the main one, left). $1.7 million doesn't buy what it used to, I guess.

Peace Now (actually, American Friends of Peace Now) is mentioned in the article as well. If they are merged into J Street, it will mean that the entire Zionist peace camp has been vaporized by the charm of J Street lucre.

Considering its relatively small budget ($3 million) J Street has made quite a bang compared to AIPAC, the real pro-Israel lobby group, which has a budget of $70,000,000. It is not really known what size segment of Jewish opinion J Street represents. Part of the secret of J Street's is the ability to mobilize grass roots volunteers. Traditional Zionist organizations in the United States are not very good at doing that and are not oriented to grass roots activity or integration of volunteers.

J Street Makes a Strategic Acquisition

By Nathan Guttman
Published September 04, 2009.

Washington — The dovish Washington-based Israel lobby J Street is about to take over the Jewish community's largest likeminded grassroots organization.

The anticipated merger of Brit Tzedek V'Shalom with J Street will give the lobby its own national network of volunteers. It is but the latest in series of seemingly strategic acquisitions through which J Street -- which calls for increased U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process -- is seeking to develop a multi-tiered operation mirroring that of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, its much larger, mainstream rival.

According to unofficial accounts, J Street and Brit Tzedek V'Shalom are in advanced talks that are expected to lead to the latter's absorption in J Street as the lobby's field operation branch.

The move is yet another demonstration of how the 18-month old lobbying group has been changing the political landscape on the Jewish left and consolidating its power at a time when other groups are struggling to survive.

Brit Tzedek officials have stressed that talks with J Street are only at their initial phase and would probably be concluded by October, in time for J Street's first national conference. But the emerging bottom line is clear: Brit Tzedek's operation will become part of J Street, although the groups will not formally merge and they will not have a joint board.

"We always believed that in order to have a greater impact we need to be as big as possible," said Steve Masters, Brit Tzedek's president, "that's why having an opportunity to work together is important." The two groups already have some joint programs and, according to Brit Tzedek leadership, there is full agreement on the political line, which supports a two-state solution, opposes settlement activity and advocates greater U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process.

Still unclear is what, if anything, will be left of Brit Tzedek once the cooperation agreement is finalized. "We've not reached any conclusion yet," said Diane Balser, the group's former executive director, who is now consulting on the cooperation talks. "We don't know if the brand will remain," she added.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street's executive director, made clear that any future cooperation would be within the framework of his organization. "They [Brit Tedek activists] will have to decide how they'd like to become active with us as individuals," he said.

J Street currently has a budget of approximately $3 million and 22 employees on staff. This is dwarfed by AIPAC's $70.6 million budget, of course. But it represents a solid financial base for a new group on the dovish end of the spectrum. Americans for Peace Now, for example, a much older, well-established group, took in just $2.25 million last year.
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