Is Iran deal gateway to Israeli-Palestinian peace?
J Street aims to put $3 million behind pro-diplomacy lawmakers in 2016 election cycle.
The liberal pro-Israel group J Street aims to put $3 million behind 2016 congressional candidates who supported the nuclear deal with Iran.
J Street argues that it's crucial during this electoral cycle to demonstrate that voting in favor of diplomacy with America's foes doesn't have to be a career killer for politicians. While the debate centers on preserving the Iran deal, the group readily admits that its ulterior goal is the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
“This effort is absolutely part and parcel of efforts to change the conversation around two-state diplomacy,” J Street Political Director Ben Shnider told Al-Monitor. “This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for us to broadcast the political incentives for taking a pro-diplomacy stance. If we can prove that it's costly politically to get in the way of effective Middle East diplomacy … we can open up space on the two-state issue as well.”
Everything J Street does, Shnider said, “is undergirded by a consideration about how it will impact the conversation around two states.”
