J Street

J Street describes itself as "the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement". Their foundation is based on the following principle:

J Street was founded to change the dynamics of American politics and policy on Israel and the Middle East. We believe the security and future of Israel as the democratic home of the Jewish people depend on rapidly achieving a two-state solution and regional comprehensive peace. Our mission is to promote meaningful American leadership to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and to broaden the debate on these issues nationally and in the Jewish community.

"What we're responding to," wrote J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami at the group's launch in 2008, "is that for too long there's been an alliance between the neocons, the radical right of the Christian Zionist movement and the far-right portions of the Jewish community that has really locked up what it means to be pro-Israel. In 2008 Ben-Ami denounced conservatives "who, through the use of fear and intimidation, have cut off reasonable debate on the topic." Here, J Street has borrowed heavily from Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, who argued that "the Lobby" controls the U.S. foreign policy debate in part by silencing critics. (J Street adviser Daniel Levy described the Walt-Mearsheimer book as a "wake-up call.").

Criticism

The group has often been the subject of attacks by neoconservatives and other rightwing Zionists such as Michael Goldfarb, Eli Lieber , Harry Schwartz, and Jeffrey Goldberg.

Clash with Neoconservatives

According to a report in IPS:

Neoconservatives and other members of the far-right came into direct conflict with J Street in May 2008 when J Street issued a statement calling on Republican presidential candidate John McCain to, "renounce John Hagee once and for all."

Many Jews took offense with Hagee's characterisation of Hitler as doing God's work by helping to bring Jews to Israel, and AIPAC found itself in the difficult position of fighting to keep its pro-Israel credentials while not severing its valuable ties to the Christian-Zionist movement and the Christian Right.

The divide between moderate Jews and neoconservatives - many of whom see the alliance with Christian Zionists such as Hagee as a valuable relationship - has proven to be a fault line for organisations seeking to characterise themselves as pro-Israel.

Funders

In September 2010 the Washington Times reported that billionaire George Soros and his two children, Jonathan and Andrea Soros, are major contributors to J Street, despite the organisation's previous denials that Soros was involved. The family gave it US $750,000 over three years.

J Street's tax filings also revealed its largest single contribution, US$811,697, came from a woman named Consolacion Ediscul, from Happy Valley in Hong Kong. Executive director Jeremy Ben Ami confirmed Ms. Esdicul had donated the money “in multiple wire transfers at the behest of” a man named William, or Bill, Benter. According to the Washington Times, Mr Benter is a well-known philanthropist who lives in Pittsburgh, and the chief executive of Acusis, a Pittsburgh-based medical services firm.

Muslim Funds Controversy

J Street have been criticised by right wing groups for accepting funding from Muslims, IPS Reported:

Right-wing blogs and evening news broadcasts have been reporting the finding that Muslims and Arabs are among the donors to the J Street political action committee (PAC) which lobbies American policymakers to work for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and helps raise campaign funds for candidates who share the views of J Street on promoting American leadership in the peace process.

"Arab and Muslim donors are extremely rare for other organisations that describe themselves as supporters of Israel as J Street does," wrote the Jerusalem Post's Hilary Leila Krieger in an article entitled 'Muslims, Arabs among J Street Donors.'

While the Jerusalem Post took care to present these statistics without crossing the line into making explicit allegations against J Street, far-right pundits quoted in the article and bloggers didn't feel compelled to hold back suggesting that J Street's willingness to take money from Arabs and Muslims undermines their pro-Israel credentials.