Our ad in The New York Times

Last Monday, J Street ran a full-page ad in The New York Times calling out mainstream pro-Israel organizations on their silence in the wake of the Gaza ceasefire, talks with Syria and overtures to Lebanon. Click here to view the full ad (PDF).

It was all too clear this past week how much people like us need to play a role in the national conversation about American foreign policy in the Middle East. The next time major pro-Israel organizations are silent about Israel's efforts to achieve security through diplomacy, our voices will need to be even louder.

Our open letter on Iran

Talk of military action against Iran grows louder every day. Rumors swirl of an Israeli attack before Inauguration Day or a Bush administration October surprise. There are reports of special ops teams already in place and at work.

J Street's position is clear: We oppose pre-emptive military action by either the United States or Israel, and we support stronger US diplomacy - using carrots as well as sticks - to address Iran's nuclear ambitions.

That's why we're asking J Street's members to sign our open letter to Members of Congress and Congressional candidates asking them to say "no" to war with Iran and "yes" to tough, smart diplomacy. We'll present this letter to every Member of Congress and Congressional candidate we meet with this cycle. Sign our open letter to Members of Congress and Congressional candidates here.

Where is the support for the Gaza ceasefire?

If Israel had gone to war this week, the mainstream pro-Israel community here in the U.S. would have rallied to its side. Instead, encouraging news of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and an offer by Israel to begin talks with Lebanon is met by deafening silence.

No public statements of support. No warm words of encouragement.

The public here and in Israel should know that there is broad American support for Israel's moves toward security through diplomacy. Luckily, that's what J Street is here for. Can you take just a minute to write a letter-to-the-editor of your local paper, voicing your support for the renewed diplomatic thrust in the region? Click here to send your letter-to-the-editor.

Our first round of candidate endorsements

We are proud to announce JStreetPAC's first round of candidate endorsements. The candidates are Donna Edwards (Candidate, MD-04), Debbie Halvorson (Candidate, IL-11), Rep. Charles Boustany (LA-07), Darcy Burner (Candidate, WA-08), Rep. Stephen Cohen (TN-09), Dennis Shulman (Candidate, NJ-05) and Mary Jo Kilroy (Candidate, OH-15). Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), one of our endorsed candidates, recorded the following video message to JStreetPAC supporters.

JStreetPAC endorsed fresh faces – junior members of Congress, challengers and competitors for open seats – whose public records and campaign platforms are in line with the PAC’s positions on the issues. The diverse group includes a rabbi, an African American community leader, a freshman Jewish member of Congress and a Lebanese-American, among others. Learn more about JStreetPAC's endorsed candidates here.

JStreetPAC Seeks Suggestions of Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Candidates to Endorse

During the 2008 election cycle, JStreetPAC will endorse and raise money for a small number of Congressional candidates that share our pro-peace, pro-Israel perspective on American policy in the Middle East. We want to hear from you about who you think we should endorse! Click here to suggest a candidate. We'll announce our endorsements throughout the campaign year.

Now is our moment on Iran

Just last week, Congress was on the verge of supporting a provocative and dangerous naval blockade of Iran. Quick approval had been expected, but thankfully, some of our friends in Congress put on the brakes.

The House leadership now has the real power to stop Congress from supporting what amounts to an act of war. Now's the moment for us to speak up. Click here to sign our new letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders.

"Don't Go, Joe" petition delivery

On July 21st, we delivered over 42,000 “Don’t Go, Joe” petition signatures to Senator Joe Lieberman’s office in Washington, DC, one day before he spoke at Hagee's conference. View a slideshow of more pictures from our petition delivery on Flickr here.

Joe Lieberman decided to ignore the 42,000 Americans who urged him to cancel his appearance there and delivered the keynote speech Hagee's conference anyway. Lieberman and Hagee should know that they haven't heard the last from us.