Monday, October 19, 2009
Michael Oren: an American in DC
So is Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren going to address the J Street convention? It's not clear. Kishkushim had high hopes for American Jewish/Israeli relations upon his appointment. I can't say that I am terribly informed about what this organization represents, amounts to, how it functions. But a quick glance at their website gives the impression that it's an organization that positions itself as an alternative source of power to the demonized Israel Lobby of "K Street." Hence the name. They have a political action committee (PAC) to support their own candidates. It looks like the real thing. The positions? I haven't gone through the policy papers, but I would be interested to know if there is one in there that really pisses Oren off. What these guys seem to be is the mainstream of American Jewry: a lot of the secular, the Reform leadership, some of the intellectuals (see Michael Chabon), the part of the Obama crowd that's tuned into the Middle East. So it's a real limiting case for the Israeli representation in Washington. To what extent are they going to assuage the concerns of an American Jewish public that is largely skeptical if not outright contemptuous of the status quo in the territories? Bibi thinks that the status quo is safe -- and you can hear Oren saying that too in the Ha'aretz piece. However indignant the Israeli leadership is about J Street, they should hold their noses, if they must, and deal. It's the right thing to do.
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6 comments:
The problem is that the Israeli establishment does not collaborate with J Street as it does with AIPAC. It's a control issue. A proliferation of Jewish voices on all sides of the political spectrum, as they come in the States, is a threat to the monopoly AIPAC has on representing Jews' views.
I guess it's a negative.
Maybe Oren doesn't want to jeopardize his office's relationships with the established organizations. If J Street endures, he will have to deal though.
I think one of the big questions is exactly that, is this J Street established? You can see the US politicians aren't so sure. The foreign policy establishment is on board, no surprise, but the Congressmen don't want to get burnt. Rosner has a list of those that ducked out:
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/rosner/entry/how_to_solve_michael_oren
Very useful list. Before Rosner left his position as the Washington correspondent for Ha'aretz, he published a piece chiding J Street types - before the organization was created. He argued that if American Jews want to help Israel, they should stand behind it or keep silent. This is basically the line of the major organizations and there are many American and Israeli Jews who agree with this position. It is easy to criticize this stance but it has its logic. However, like it or not, there are many American Jews who endorse J Street's views on the conflict. The question is how best to advance them; we'll see how smooth the J Street folks are as political operators in the coming years.
I have to say that I was a bit taken aback by the near-unanimous opposition to J Street on Rosner's blog. Of course, the Jerusalem Post readership is predominantly right-wing, but I didn't expect there to be so much vitriol.
Rosner has been covering J Street for a while. Check out this article from April 16, 2008.
I wouldn't be surprised about the vitriol. These people are reading a blogger who contends that American Jews should "stand behind Israel" or stay silent. It's a feedback loop. I personally am extremely skeptical of that view. If the Israeli government can focus so much effort on raising support on the Christian Right, they ought to be able to find the initiative to engage the American Jewish Center and Left.
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