POINT/COUNTERPOINT

In Defense
Of J Street

Los Angeles/JTA

I

n the 25 years I have
served as a leader in
the Muslim American
community, I have watched
and sometimes participated
as the pro-Israel and pro-
Palestinian camps have put
all their energy into trying
to convert each other to
their own ways of thinking
— ideologically, not theologi-
cally.
The conclusion I have
reached is that agreement
cannot, and should not, be a pre-con-
dition for engagement. As Muslims,
Jews and Christians who believe in
peacemaking as a social and reli-
gious responsibility, we must be the
drivers of change at the grass-roots
level.
I agreed recently to speak at this
month's first-ever J Street confer-
ence, which is titled "Driving Change,
Securing Peace' This is a historic
occasion on many fronts.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council
(MPAC) and J Street both engage
progressive thinkers and activ-
ists in our respective communities
to address tough issues, work on
Middle East peace as a priority
issue, and strive to develop mutual
respect between Muslims and Jews.
For the first time in American his-
tory, American Jews and American
Muslims who don't agree on the nar-
rative of the Middle East conflict are
working together to determine their
future — not just in the Middle East,
but in America.
I am an American Muslim who
believes that Islam plays a critical
role in shaping the minds and hearts
of more than 1 billion Muslims to
serve the divine value of justice. I
believe in one God, one human fami-
ly and one set of core values that can
improve all lives. Those values are
mercy, justice, peace, human dignity,
freedom and equality for all.
MPAC is committed to working
with members of the U.S. Congress
and government agencies to formu-
late effective policies to counteract
terrorism and extremism. I am proud
of our two-decade record of contri-
butions to policymaking, interfaith

J Street: Rescind
Your Invitation

dialogue, Muslim inte-
Philadelphia/JTA
gration and civic partic-
ipation. I'm also proud
s J Street a pro-Israel
that we've played a
group? The lobbying
part in helping Muslim
organization never tires of
Americans embrace
claiming it is.
the idea that being
Yet what pro-Israel group
American and Muslim
would invite a man to speak at its
go hand in hand.
forthcoming conference who has
The Israeli-
called for Israel's destruction,
Palestinian conflict
stating that "the establishment by
is a key issue of U.S.-
force, violence and terrorism of a
Muslim world relations.
Jewish state in Palestine in 1948"
My position on the
was "unjust" and a "crime" and
conflict — and that
vowed to "work to overturn the
of MPAC — centers
injustice"?
on the two-state solution whereby
The man who signed this Sept. 17,
Israel and Palestine exist side by
1993 statement by the Muslim Public
side with security and opportunity.
Affairs Council (MPAC) was its executive
I believe also that the injustices that
director, Salam Al-Marayati, who will be
the Palestinian people have endured
speaking next month at J Street's Oct. 25-
for more than 60 years, as well as
28 conference.
the ongoing occupation
Marayati and MPAC have made
that started in 1967, must
numerous other hateful anti-Israel
SUE and anti-American statements:
be addressed and rectified
through negotiation, not
• A few hours after the 9-11
Should
violence. Middle East wars
attacks, Marayati said on a radio
have not resolved anything
show in Los Angeles, "We should
J Street put
in the 20th century or in
the State of Israel on the sus-
the first decade of this
pect
list" of possible 9-11 perpe-
Host
century.
trators.
Salam Al-
This is why a conference
•After a suicide bombing at a
like the one J Street is plan-
Jerusalem pizzeria on Aug. 8, 2001,
Marayati his organization issued a statement
ning is so crucial. As lead-
ers of diverse and divergent
calling the attack "the expected bit-
as a
communities, we have a
ter result of the reckless policy of
speaker? Israeli assassination that did not
responsibility to meet, dis-
cuss the issues and share
spare children and political figures."
our multiple perspectives.
• Marayati's group con-
This exchange will only enrich the
demned the U.S. strikes against Al Qaida
national conversation around the
in Afghanistan and Sudan following the
prospects for a durable solution to
bombings in 1998 of the U.S. embassies in
the conflict.
Kenya and Tanzania as illegal, immoral and
When I was nominated to serve
illogical.
on the U.S. National Commission on
• He has likened Israel's supporters to
Terrorism in 1999 by then-House
Hitler.
Minority Leader Richard Gephardt,
• Marayati also has condemned France's
attacks and outright lies began crop-
fining of Roger Garaudy for Holocaust
ping up almost immediately.
denial as "persecution of his right to express
Because I stated that we needed to
an opinion."
look at the root causes of terrorism,
• In 1997, he gave a chilling, anticipatory
I was accused of supporting terror-
justification for anti-American terrorism,
ism. Yet in 2001, President George W.
saying, "Where Israel goes, our government
Bush made exactly the same asser-
follows.... What is important is whether the
tion, which led to the creation of
American people are aware of and ready for
U.S.-sponsored initiatives for demo-
the consequences:'
cratic reform in Muslim countries
Some of these statements caused
Marayati's 1999 appointment to a U.S. con-
and a robust public diplomatic effort
gressional committee on terrorism to be
In Defense on page 34
rescinded.

I

AT IS

J Street's invitation to Marayati
makes one wonder whose side the
organization is on. J Street pres-
sures Israel to make concessions,
yet says virtually nothing specifi-
cally about the 16-year failure of
the Fatah-controlled Palestinian
Authority to dismantle terror-
ist groups. The lobby group also
said nothing about Fatah's recent
conference, which proclaimed the
legitimacy of terrorism against
Israel and honored, by name, kill-
ers of Jews as heroes.
In June, J Street's campaign
director, Isaac Luria, misleadingly
claimed that "Israelis want the president to
stand up to the settlers." Luria said a poll
recently showed that 52 percent of Israelis
want a freeze on settlement construction
and 56 percent want Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu to agree to President Obama's
call for an end to settlement construction.
In fact, the Dahaf Institute poll to which
Luria referred actually showed that Israelis
favor continued natural growth of Jewish
communities by 54 percent to 42 percent
and that they believe that Obama's policies
are not good for Israel by a margin of 53
percent to 26 percent.
More damning still, the only other partial
truth in J Street's claim — that 56 percent
of respondents said they wanted Netanyahu
to agree to Obama's demands — left out
the major point that they favored this only
if the alternative meant U.S. sanctions. Most
disturbing, despite strong support by most
Israeli and American Jews for Israel's cam-
paign last January to stop Hamas' rockets
from Gaza, J Street opposed the operation.
It even has challenged the adoption of more
robust sanctions against Iran right now.
All these issues have enhanced relevance
in view of the fact that J Street receives tens
of thousands of dollars in donations from
dozens of Arab and Muslim Americans,
according to the Federal Election
Commission filings cited by the Jerusalem
Post, as well as money from individuals
connected to Palestinian and pro-Iranian
advocacy groups.
J Street continues to relentlessly display
its support for the Palestinian cause. We
urge the group to start doing the right thing
by rescinding its invitation to Salam Al-
Marayati and ceasing to accept donations
from those hostile to Israel. 1-1

Morton Klein is president of the Zionist

Organization of America.

October 1 • 2009

33