Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Where is J Street now that we need them to support the President?

Support the President: open letter to J Street and all peace loving Americans

Dear J-Street,
President Barack Obama has laid it on the line at the UN regarding Iranian violations of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations. The Iranian nuclear program clearly constitutes a threat to world peace and to peace in the Middle East, and President Obama has rightly called on Iran to comply with the relevant Security Council Resolutions and to immediately (not according to a time table) open its clandestine Qom facility to IAEA inspections.

The President has taken a very brave stand on a matter that is vital for peace in the Middle East, for World Peace (we should always capitalize World Peace), for American interests and for Israel. Everyone who is pro-peace and pro-Israel should be standing with him. This is one issue where there is perfect commonality of interests between the United States, Israel, all other American allies in the Middle East and everyone who is really interested in peace.

The President needs our support. The United States is fighting a lonely and difficult battle against European apathy, Chinese cupidity, cynical, Machiavellian Russian geopolitical calculations and self-interested consultants and lobbyists like the American-Iranian Council.

For some reason, I have not gotten any e-mails from J Street urging me to support the President. Not a word! That's really odd, because just a few weeks ago, J Street was bombarding everyone in the Middle East with endless messages telling us "Support the President" "We've got your back Mr. Obama" - and praising Barack Obama's drive to engage Iran.

I didn't see any recent mention of the Iranian nuclear development issue at your Web site either. As I said, it is really strange.

Now that Barack Obama is really trying to do things to advance Middle East peace, J Street has fallen strangely silent. There are no more calls to support the President. No more messages impressing upon us the urgency of Middle East peace! Why are you silent? Let's hear it from J Street - "We've got your back, Mr. President."

You know, J Street, evidently you people are all rather busy, and I don't want to take up any more of your time, but something occurred to me. it's a funny thing. I checked your donor list. It seems you got a donation from the American Iranian Council. Of course, that couldn't possibly be the explanation for J Street's silence on this important issue, could it? I'm not implying anything here, just saying. If I were not a trusting person, I might get the wrong idea.

There must be a simple explanation for J Street's silence about Iranian nuclear weapons. Maybe J Street is just off for the holidays. As Jeremy Ben-Ami explained to the New York Times, J Street celebrates Buddhist Seders. Probably they are off observing Taleban Tashlich* and Shiite Sukkoth. I'm sure that must be the reason they are not out there cheering the President when he needs their support so badly.
 

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