I’m so proud of my J Street NYC team who conceived, produced and livestreamed this event — over 400 people attended. It was illuminating, it was jovial, it was tense, it raised our profile. Mazel tov to my gang. My livetweets are posted below (it’s reverse chronological order, sorry).
- So proud of my @jstreetnyc team about tonight’s Jeremy Ben-Ami & Jeffrey @Goldberg3000 event. Mega-thanks to @mobius1ski for the livestream!
- #jstnyc The Zionist establishment conspiracy against liberal views has de-feeded me from the hashtag stream.
- #jstnyc Q: Should the blockade come down? Ben-Ami: Coriander is not a security threat and this blockade does not help security long-term.
- #jstnyc Goldberg cont: I expected Great Neck with sand. It’s to turn a summer camp Jew into a farmer or soldier.
- #jstnyc Goldberg’s answer: I left IDF less idealistic. Israelis never say “excuse me.” It hard to be an immigrant anywhere.
- #jstnyc Q for both: Why did you leave Israel to raise a family?
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: Pals will say ’88 was theire biggest concession by taking only 22% of British Mandate. Arab Lge in 2002 made their offer.
- Barf. #jstnyc Goldberg: Musilm-Arab world seems 2 have an allergic reaction 2 minorities in their midst. Coptic Xtians, black Sudanese, etc.
- #jstnyc Goldberg cont: Israel was created bc of Euro sin. It’s our obligation to help Pals recover. But no right of return.
- #jstnyc Q: What about Pal right of return? Goldberg: It’s imp for each side to recognize the Other. The Pals have suffered bc of Euro sin.
- #jstnyc Q: Why isn’t J Street “pro-Israel, pro-Pal”? Ben-Ami: We believe being pro-Israel necessitates a Pal state.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: I believe J Street is a great place for young Jews and prog Jews. The choice can’t be pro-Israel anti-Israel.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Ppl to left of J Street believe settlements are natural part of Zionism. I don’t belive that. J St might be Labor party.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Not disputing you that West Bank is apartheid-like, but Israel still has freedom of the press.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: I understand disapp with waiting for statehood for 2K years, just to be better than Syria. (Applause, laughter)
- #jstnyc Goldberg: How is Israel compared to her neighbors? Ben-Ami: That’s not good enough. Ask Israel’s civil rights activists.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Israel is a marvel of civil rights, intellectual and entrepreneurialism. How do
- #jstnyc Goldberg: What about young Jews who don’t care? Ben-Ami: not that they don’t care, they’re struggling. They want a place to discuss.
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: The divorce isn’t US-Israel, it’s orthodox-progressive. Lieberman-Shas-Netanyahu coalition + US ideologues.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Only two Jewish communities have power; US and Israel. As @PeterBeinart said, are we getting a divorce? Is it that bad?
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Is Israel becoming an apartheid state? Ben-Ami: Without a doubt, just as Barak and other PMs have warned. How do we avert?
- @sethacohen33 I would love to. I’d love to attend next year’s conference.
- @ffidler http://nif.org/lovehate Yay!
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: There is a confusion between control and soveriegnty. If it means peace in the long run, then I will relinquish Temple Mt.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Do you believe in giving up the Temple Mount? Ben-Ami: I believe nobody should have soveriegnty over the whole.
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: if Abu Mazen and Salam Fayyad deliver statehood, Pals will choose them over Hamas.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: Mainstream Israeli commentators are seeing withdrawl leads to rockets. Twice burned. I don’t have hope they’ll compromise.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: It’s said the Pals never miss an opp to miss an opp. It’s true the Israelis are also very good at missing opps.
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: Israelis say “we disengaged and got rockets”, Pals say “we compromised and we got more settlements.” Someone has to bridge.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: What’s the solution look like? Ben-Ami: Someone has to help Hamas-Fatah reconciliation. Someone has to monitor agreement.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: I’m not sure it’s the right of American Jews to lecture Israeli leaders on what’s right. You founded an org on it.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: #AIPAC claims to build US-Israel relationship, though we know they weren’t big fans of Rabin, Barak…
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: We didn’t start J Street to be anti anything. I don’t want to speak for AIPAC, let them define themselves.
- #jstnyc Goldberg: If you’re pro-Israel, pro-peace then is #AiPACpro-war?
- #jstnyc Ben-Ami: The PM of Israel has an obligation to not just Diaspora but the world to think twice before unilateral military action.
- Ben-Ami: it is wrong for anyone 2 say they own the sole truth. Goldberg: Every Israeli I’ve ever met feels they have the sole truth.#jstnyc
- Goldberg: What if you’re wrong? As a Jew, what if you don’t have a stake? What if we make a policy mistake? #jstnyc
- Ben-Ami: The fallacy that it’s not okay to express ourselves on *American* foreign policy. As Jews we care even more. #jstnyc
- Goldberg: Why don’t you move to Israel. (Applause) That’s the Israel aliyah desk inattendance. #jstnyc Ben-Ami: I did live there, my fam is.
- Goldberg: How can the govt of Israel be divorced from the people? Ben-Ami: Same as I opposed Bush without losing American values.#jstnyc
- RT @jstreetnyc: We’re livestreaming Jeffrey Goldberg & Jeremy Ben-Ami: http://bit.ly/aYjdLF. Use hashtag #jstnyc to join the convo!