November 14: In the real street

J Street shares the views of 87% of American Jews that support strong US leadership to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
letters 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
On the real street Sir, - In Jonathan Tobin's column "Essay: Israelis will decide their own fate," (November 6), he called the new pro-Israel, pro-peace, J Street lobby "not influential" and representative of "a left-wing minority" when it comes to politics on Israel. He's dead wrong on both counts. J Street shares the views of 87 percent of American Jews that support strong US leadership to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and also the three in four American Jews that want the US to take a more active role than it currently does in bringing the parties to an agreement. In just a short six months, J Street has built a list of 85,000 supporters, while J Street's sister organization, JStreetPAC, endorsed 41 candidates for office and raised over $560,000 to help 32 of them win, making it the largest pro-Israel political action committee in its first year. Though Tobin might not agree with J Street's politics, he should at least get his facts right. JEREMY BEN-AMI Executive Director J Street Washington DC J'lem speaks Sir, - How about something like this for a headline instead of "Olmert: We must cede parts of Jerusalem," (November 10): "J'lem: We must cede parts of Olmert" ISRAEL PICKHOLTZ Jerusalem A lame duck can act Sir, - Now that the US presidential campaign has reached its end, America is governed by a lame-duck president who, for the next two months, has nothing to lose, but is still in power ("High turnout lifts Obama toward victory," November 5). Why not ask him forcefully for a humanitarian gesture before the end of his mandate to pardon Jonathan Pollard? I hope Israeli politicians will not forget how heavily Israel is indebted to him and will insist on Bush acting. ROBERTO JONA Torino, Italy Bogus talk Sir, - Resorting to bogus reasoning, Kadima and Labor expose their desperation as they try to cling to power. But Israelis have rejected this leadership ("Labor, Kadima: Bibi can't be Obama's counterpart," November 5). The citizens of Israel will no longer tolerate the release of thousands of terrorists or the surrender of territory to the Palestinian Authority. Israel needs someone to stand up to what I consider a pro-Arab State Department; someone who understands Israel's survival issues; and someone who can argue forcibly to the American mindset. President-elect Barak Obama wants to talk - let's give him someone who can negotiate for a strong Israel. Bibi is clearly more qualified than Kadima or Labor. ALICE EIGNER Ma'aleh Adumim