Knesset to Investigate J Street’s Claim to Be ‘Pro-Israel’

Alana Goodman
Commentary/Contentions
10 March '11

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/03/10/knesset-to-investigate-j-street%E2%80%99s-claim-to-be-%E2%80%98pro-israel%E2%80%99/

Israeli lawmakers are tired of J Street’s portraying itself as a “pro-Israel” lobbying group, and they’ve decided to hold a hearing next week to investigate J Street’s claims.

The Knesset hearing is being called by Kadima MK Otniel Schneller — an interesting development, since Kadima has traditionally had friendlier relations with J Street than any other Israeli political party.

“I asked for the hearing not because of the content of J Street’s beliefs, but because I want to look into the commitment of Jewish love and support for Israel. If they don’t love and support Israel, then they should not present themselves as pro-Israel,” Schneller said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

And Schneller already seems to have drawn some conclusions about J Street’s “love” for the Jewish state.

“[I]f they say that if Israel accepts our radical left-wing diplomatic positions, then we love Israel — it is a conditional love,” said the Kadima MK. “If you don’t accept our ideas, then we will support Iran or the Palestinian Authority. I don’t want love like that. Don’t love me at all.”

According to Likud member Danny Danon, the chairperson of the committee holding the investigation, the committee will call on Kadima chair Tzipi Livni and the MKs who participated in the J Street conference to testify.

And it sounds like the hearing will focus on some of the more controversial political positions that J Street has taken recently.

“The fact that J Street fought against the sanctions that the United States wants to place against Iran is very, very serious in my eyes, as is the fact that they acted against the American veto,” he said.

During the midterms, we saw congressional candidates lose elections partially because of their support for J Street. But is this a sign that J Street is now starting to hurt politicians on an international level?

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