Ode to the Trailblazers: Before there was a J Street

This Sunday marks a truly historic occasion.  Under the title "Driving Change, Securing Peace", J Street will be convening the first-ever national conference of all the American Jewish organizations who support Israel's wellbeing, but who - precisely because of this - cannot promise carte blanche support for each and every policy decision of Israel's government. 

In other words, this will be a gathering of individuals and groups who are concerned by all the dangers to Israel's physical and spiritual future. 

Such dangers obviously include the real and continuing external threats to Israel's national, and Israelis' personal, security - Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas et alia. 

But the attendees at this conference are also aware of the danger represented by those in Israel who, out of messianic motivation, or ethnic chauvinism, or decades of desensitization and despair (even if born of legitimate security fears) would propose a course that could doom Israel to an awful fate - eternal occupation and conflict, increasing international isolation, and the rise of xenophobic ideologies that undermine the country's democratic foundations.

Meretz USA is a proud co-promoter (officially "participating organization") of this event, set to take place October 25-28.

But Meretz USA is much more than that.  In the annals of pro-Israel/pro-peace, Meretz USA is a Nachshon, who had the courage and faith to go before the camp and lead the way into untested waters.

Four decades ago, in the aftermath of the Six Day War, one of Meretz USA's two predecessor organizations, Americans for Progressive Israel (API), was already speaking out against annexation and permanent occupation and declaring its support for, "the Palestinian Arab people's nationality and right to self-determination" (Israel Horizons, v. 15 #8 and v. 18, #4).

Before "Oslo", in the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the banner of its other precursor, the "Education Fund for Israeli Civil Rights and Peace", Meretz USA gathered together and gave a home to American Jewish supporters of an Israeli dialogue with the Palestinian people, whose representative, the PLO, had just declared its groundbreaking, if indirect, recognition of Israel through its acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 242.

In fact, the men and women of Meretz USA even laid the groundwork for the upcoming nationwide pro-Israel/pro-peace conference: In 1998, Meretz USA conceptualized the, "national rally in support of the Oslo peace process," in Washington DC, to mark the 5th anniversary of the historic signing of the Oslo "Declaration of Principles" on the White House lawn. 

Thanks to the "heavy lifting" performed by Mark Rosenblum of Americans for Peace Now, the rally brought together a broad coalition of Jewish organizations, and sent a large delegation to a White House meeting with then-President Clinton.

None of this, of course, is meant to take away the slightest bit of credit from J Street, which has brought a communications strategy, an organizing principle and a boundless energy to the pro-Israel/pro-peace message that have lifted the camp to unprecedented heights.

But except for the a-historical account of Divine Creation, all new things are a product of that which preceded them.  So while saluting J Street, let us also pause to recognize the accomplishments of all the organizations who have been toiling for years and decades - not only Meretz USA and its predecessors, but Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Israel Policy Forum, Ameinu, the long-defunct Breira and New Jewish Agenda, and so many others.  J Street stands upon their shoulders.

I hope to see you in Washington DC in two days' time.  And if you are attending the J Street conference, please make sure to drop by the Meretz USA table on Monday or Tuesday to meet our lay leadership and professional staff!

Shabbat Shalom,

Ron Skolnik
Executive Director
Meretz USA