J Street Debate from page 20
what's best for Middle East peace.
On some issues, judging from inter-
views with conference delegates and
assessments by J Street officials of par-
ticipants' viewpoints, there appeared to
be broad consenus, like the belief that the
Palestinians deserve national rights or the
United States needs to do more to push
the Israelis and Palestinians toward nego-
tiations.
On other issues, however, a stark gen-
eration gap was apparent.
Older conference goers appeared to be
virtually unanimous in expressing support
for a two-state solution, calling themselves
Zionists and saying that while they back
more U.S. pressure on the parties, they
reject cutting aid to Israel if it does not
accede to U.S. demands.
But a number of delegates under 40,
especially college students and recent
graduates, appeared to be much more
equivocal on the idea of two states for two
peoples. Some were hesitant about identi-
fying as Zionists, and some were open to
the idea of making U.S. aid to Israel condi-
tional on progress in the peace process.
The divide, which J Street officials
acknowledged, raises the question of how
an organization that strongly endorses a
two-state solution can succeed when many
of its supporters question its core position.
J Street executive director Jeremy
Ben-Ami said he hoped that by engaging
younger activists to come and debate the
issue, the organization could convince
them to back a two-state solution.
"Let them question it here under the
tent of a pro-Israel organization" rather
than among those who don't have Israel's
best interests at heart, he said.
The key to winning over such young
people, J Street officials have argued, is
opening up the debate, even on the most
fundmamental issues.
Critics of the organization counter
that some of J Street's positions under-
cut Jewish unity and could harm Israel's
interests, such as the group's opposition to
Israel's Gaza operation last winter and its
reluctance to endorse harsher sanctions
against Iran at this time.
Nonprofit Security Funds
Washington/JTA
President Obama
signed into a law a homeland security
bill that includes funds for nonprofits.
The Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act 2010, which
was signed Oct. 28, includes $19 mil-
lion in funding for a grant program to
improve security for nonprofits and
religious institutions. The funds allo-
cated for the Nonprofit Security Grant
Program represent a $4 million increase
from current levels.
Jewish groups, including Agudath
Israel of America, Jewish Federations of
North America (formerly United Jewish
Communities) and the Orthodox Union,
had lobbied for the funding increase and
are lauding the bill's passage.
Jewish groups have received the plu-
rality of the funds since the program was
established in 2005.
The money is used typically to enhance
security at communal buildings, including
—
Jewish community centers, schools and
synagogues, through video systems and
barriers among other measures.
Plan The Israel Walk
The 2010 Walk for Israel planning com-
mittee will meet noon-1 p.m. Tuesday,
Nov. 17, at Temple Shir Shalom in West
Bloomfield. The 2010 Walk is scheduled
for noon Sunday, May 2, at the temple.
The walk is intended to show the
community's visible and public support
for Israel.
The committee invites representatives
of organizations to attend the meeting
to help plan the event. Organizations
are also welcome to consider sponsor-
ing and promoting the walk to their
membership. Recent walks have had 40
or more sponsors and have drawn 750
to 1,200 participants.
Contact Mark Segel at myalesegel@
comcast.net or (248) 208-2773 to RSVP
or for more information.
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