Thank you again Mr Ben Ami. I agree with so much of what you write. Everyone deserves to live in peace. And continue to thank you for articulating what I feel is so dangerous to say out loud in Jewish circles. These dialectics that Netanyahu and all he is doing is not okay but Israel and its people are my family and I am always supportive to their success, as I also hurt for the people who house terrorists among them yet get themselves killed because of this. I can’t hate them. They deserve a better life than this constant terror. As do my brethren in Israel. I can’t seem to convince people like your amazing writings offer this non binary embrace so openly. Thank you.
Again, a big thank you for all you do. I came to the University of Maine in Portland, Maine many years ago for a great event and was so relieved that J Street existed and to hear your excellent speech.
Thank you for being so steadfast in your views AND open to change. When you were here in Maine you explained why the 2 state solution was so important. In one of your recent letters you talked about the need for a 3 state solution.
Thanks, Benita. We are definitely promoting the idea that the solution must be regional - with 23 states involved and not just two! However you count it, there will never be peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians if there isn’t a sovereign Palestinian state next to Israel as part of the solution.
Thanks, Jim. The same and rational majorities in both societies need to take control back of their countries from these radical fringes. We face such serious challenges ahead and can’t afford this kind of leadership.
Thank you Jeremy. I appreciate your words of encouragement and recognition of reality. The more outrageous the actions of Netanyahu, the more confused I feel about my sense of connection to it. And though I’m grateful for the protests there that continue week after week, they seem to change nothing.
I plan to show up at the April 5th rally in my own city, but I don’t know that it will do any more than inspire people to have some hope for a future without fascism in the highest offices in America. Holding back the destruction of our hard-won democratic nation is becoming more and more tenuous.
Thank you, again, Jeremy, to say the fighting words that need to be said and spread. Yes, we must all join the fight to resist and mobilize actions against the Trump regime and support and join the voices in Israel against the Netanyahu regime. We must not be afraid to share our views with our Jewish families, friends, rabbis and fellow synagogue members. We must be wiling and patient to explain our views, as well as listen to those of others who may not agree. Here in San Diego, the Jewish community is very diverse, and more conservative than I'm used to in Michigan. But I plan to engage with them even more.
Thank you, Jeremy, for this: https://jeremybenami.substack.com/p/the-test-of-our-times. On showing up, supporting and acting politically and strategically, in Cleveland yesterday, about 1000 people attended our West Side Resistance Fair, after 1500 attended the East side one, where J Street had a table. I staffed a table for Welcome in My Back Yard (www.wimby.org), which involves a window sign and a pledge, including against racist, antisemitic and anti-Islamic acts. People are standing up and speaking out for a variety of political and humanitarian causes like never before, and they are increasingly mutually supportive.
As you know, the problem is not just Trump and Netanyahu and the latest Hamas leader. What is common among all three as well as Putin--who is is increasingly driven by reactionary trends in Russian Orthodoxy--and the top leaderships in Türkiye, Iran, India, Afghanistan and elsewhere--is that despite varying degrees of religiosity of the individual top leaders, they rely for power on what I call Totalitarian Theocratic Patriachal Power Brokers: https://tinyurl.com/DoversubstackTTPPBs.
Rather than labeling these leaders as fascists, I think their rule is more patrimonial and patriarchal in nature, although relying on repression of various forms. I see the power brokering of these TTPPBs as a last ditch effort to deny the democracy which women's suffrage has continued to consolidate.
J Street and the other Progressive Israel Network groups can help unite moderate, liberal, progressive and democratic left Jews by stressing their versions of J Street's values/slogans, such as peace is possible, supporting equality for all, and ProIsrael, ProPalestinian, ProDemocracy, ProDiplomacy, ProJustice and ProPeace.
Seen that way J Street and those who support the Hatikvah slate (https://www.hatikvahslate.net/) in the World Zionist Conference include those who identity as liberal Zionists, but also those with a variety of compatible political identities who represent the views of a majority of US Jews, certainly including progressive Zionists, feminist Zionists, socialist Zionists, and so forth. We need to have all hands on deck in every political arena.
Along the way, let's remember, as The Nields sang seven years ago, Tyrants Always Fall ("there are more of us than there are of them....a common peril, a common goal." https://youtu.be/ubWQHdHTLRI?si=-_QwbZKI7EUGT66G
Thoughtful comments by Jeremy, as always. However, the situation is not black and white.
Lots of us who voted for Donald Trump three times -- and are Independents -- abhor his alliance with the butcher Netanyahu, who should be in prison for his many crimes.
Free speech is critical, to allow Israelis and Americans alike to speak out against the Apartheid state's multi-decade butchery.
Anti-Semitism has risen to levels not seen since World War II, with much worse yet to come. Tragically, no Jew is safe anywhere, which is Netanyahu’s "gift" to the world.
And no, America's Democrats don't have the answers to anything, which is why lots of us left the party long ago and will never come back.
It’s disingenuous to claim that “Democrats don’t have the answer to anything.” Democrats have a big tent, and are the only party that actually wants to govern for the good of all Americans, as well as support efforts for peace and diplomacy internationally. So-called Independents aren’t attached to any platform or party and therefore aren’t invested in working for a functional government.
Thank you again Mr Ben Ami. I agree with so much of what you write. Everyone deserves to live in peace. And continue to thank you for articulating what I feel is so dangerous to say out loud in Jewish circles. These dialectics that Netanyahu and all he is doing is not okay but Israel and its people are my family and I am always supportive to their success, as I also hurt for the people who house terrorists among them yet get themselves killed because of this. I can’t hate them. They deserve a better life than this constant terror. As do my brethren in Israel. I can’t seem to convince people like your amazing writings offer this non binary embrace so openly. Thank you.
Again, a big thank you for all you do. I came to the University of Maine in Portland, Maine many years ago for a great event and was so relieved that J Street existed and to hear your excellent speech.
Thank you for being so steadfast in your views AND open to change. When you were here in Maine you explained why the 2 state solution was so important. In one of your recent letters you talked about the need for a 3 state solution.
Keep on Keeping on!
Benita Russo
Thanks, Benita. We are definitely promoting the idea that the solution must be regional - with 23 states involved and not just two! However you count it, there will never be peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians if there isn’t a sovereign Palestinian state next to Israel as part of the solution.
Thank you for raising your voice and speaking in clear terms. I am with you and believe the vast majority of Israelis are as well.
Thanks, Jim. The same and rational majorities in both societies need to take control back of their countries from these radical fringes. We face such serious challenges ahead and can’t afford this kind of leadership.
Just because I disagree with you and J Street on some - or many - things; doesn't mean I disagree with you on everything!
Always appreciate that you read this early on Sunday! And I do recognize that there is more we have in common than what we disagree on.
Thank you Jeremy. I appreciate your words of encouragement and recognition of reality. The more outrageous the actions of Netanyahu, the more confused I feel about my sense of connection to it. And though I’m grateful for the protests there that continue week after week, they seem to change nothing.
I plan to show up at the April 5th rally in my own city, but I don’t know that it will do any more than inspire people to have some hope for a future without fascism in the highest offices in America. Holding back the destruction of our hard-won democratic nation is becoming more and more tenuous.
Thank you, again, Jeremy, to say the fighting words that need to be said and spread. Yes, we must all join the fight to resist and mobilize actions against the Trump regime and support and join the voices in Israel against the Netanyahu regime. We must not be afraid to share our views with our Jewish families, friends, rabbis and fellow synagogue members. We must be wiling and patient to explain our views, as well as listen to those of others who may not agree. Here in San Diego, the Jewish community is very diverse, and more conservative than I'm used to in Michigan. But I plan to engage with them even more.
Thank you, Jeremy, for this: https://jeremybenami.substack.com/p/the-test-of-our-times. On showing up, supporting and acting politically and strategically, in Cleveland yesterday, about 1000 people attended our West Side Resistance Fair, after 1500 attended the East side one, where J Street had a table. I staffed a table for Welcome in My Back Yard (www.wimby.org), which involves a window sign and a pledge, including against racist, antisemitic and anti-Islamic acts. People are standing up and speaking out for a variety of political and humanitarian causes like never before, and they are increasingly mutually supportive.
As you know, the problem is not just Trump and Netanyahu and the latest Hamas leader. What is common among all three as well as Putin--who is is increasingly driven by reactionary trends in Russian Orthodoxy--and the top leaderships in Türkiye, Iran, India, Afghanistan and elsewhere--is that despite varying degrees of religiosity of the individual top leaders, they rely for power on what I call Totalitarian Theocratic Patriachal Power Brokers: https://tinyurl.com/DoversubstackTTPPBs.
Rather than labeling these leaders as fascists, I think their rule is more patrimonial and patriarchal in nature, although relying on repression of various forms. I see the power brokering of these TTPPBs as a last ditch effort to deny the democracy which women's suffrage has continued to consolidate.
J Street and the other Progressive Israel Network groups can help unite moderate, liberal, progressive and democratic left Jews by stressing their versions of J Street's values/slogans, such as peace is possible, supporting equality for all, and ProIsrael, ProPalestinian, ProDemocracy, ProDiplomacy, ProJustice and ProPeace.
Seen that way J Street and those who support the Hatikvah slate (https://www.hatikvahslate.net/) in the World Zionist Conference include those who identity as liberal Zionists, but also those with a variety of compatible political identities who represent the views of a majority of US Jews, certainly including progressive Zionists, feminist Zionists, socialist Zionists, and so forth. We need to have all hands on deck in every political arena.
Along the way, let's remember, as The Nields sang seven years ago, Tyrants Always Fall ("there are more of us than there are of them....a common peril, a common goal." https://youtu.be/ubWQHdHTLRI?si=-_QwbZKI7EUGT66G
Thoughtful comments by Jeremy, as always. However, the situation is not black and white.
Lots of us who voted for Donald Trump three times -- and are Independents -- abhor his alliance with the butcher Netanyahu, who should be in prison for his many crimes.
Free speech is critical, to allow Israelis and Americans alike to speak out against the Apartheid state's multi-decade butchery.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2025/03/11/is-the-trump-presidency-where-free-speech-goes-to-die/ ("Is The Trump Presidency Where Free Speech Goes To Die?")
Anti-Semitism has risen to levels not seen since World War II, with much worse yet to come. Tragically, no Jew is safe anywhere, which is Netanyahu’s "gift" to the world.
And no, America's Democrats don't have the answers to anything, which is why lots of us left the party long ago and will never come back.
It’s disingenuous to claim that “Democrats don’t have the answer to anything.” Democrats have a big tent, and are the only party that actually wants to govern for the good of all Americans, as well as support efforts for peace and diplomacy internationally. So-called Independents aren’t attached to any platform or party and therefore aren’t invested in working for a functional government.
With all due respect, your naivete is understandable. Have you ever worked in government?
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/government-does-not-work-for-the-people/ ("Government Does Not Work For The People")
Lots of us left the Democratic Party years ago, and will NEVER come back. It is corrupt beyond belief.
Your description of Independents is naive too. It is a massive voting bloc, and indeed the largest.
See, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_voter#:~:text=Gallup%20polls%20data%20shows%20independent,measured%20by%20self%2Didentification). ("Independent voter")
See also https://timothydnaegele.substack.com/p/how-do-government-officials-make