J Street

J Street

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Street

J Street is a nonprofit liberal[1][2][3] advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab–Israeli and Israel–Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008.

While primarily made up of Jews, J Street welcomes non-Jewish members as well. J Street states that it "supports a new direction for American policy in the Middle East – diplomatic solutions over military ones", "multilateral over unilateral approaches to conflict resolution"; and "dialogue over confrontation" with wider international support. According to J Street, its political action committee is "the first and only federal Political Action Committee whose goal is to demonstrate that there is meaningful political and financial support to candidates for federal office from large numbers of Americans who believe a new direction in American policy will advance U.S. interests in the Middle East and promote real peace and security for Israel and the region."[4]

J Street describes itself as a pro-Israel organization, which supports peace between Israel and its neighbors. Some Israelis, including several public figures, have said that J-Street is anti-Israel, particularly in relation to key challenges facing the Jewish state.[5][6][7] Several US Jewish leaders have expressed reservations about J Street's position on Israel, and some have publicly disassociated themselves from the organization.

Funding

Confidential IRS documents obtained by The Washington Times in 2010 showed that George Soros had been a donor to J Street since 2008. The approximately $750,000 from Soros and his family, together with donations from Hong Kong-based businesswoman Ms. Consolacion Esdicul, amounted to about 15% of J Street's funding since establishment.[26] In previous statements and on its web site J Street had seemed to deny receiving support from foreign interests and from Soros, a bête noire to conservatives.[50][51] Jeremy Ben-Ami apologized for earlier "misleading" statements regarding funding from Soros. Ben-Ami also clarified that donors to 501(c)(4) organizations are promised confidentiality by law and challenged critics to make public the contributors to opposing organizations.[52] Rabbi Steve Gutow, a president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, called J Street "irresponsible" for its handling of the issue.

J Street

Morton H. Halperin is the vice chair for J Street, a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations, was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a director, Washington office for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Note: Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the American Constitution Society.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, was a supporter for the Center for American Progress, and a member of the Democracy Alliance.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, and the Brookings Institution  (think tank).

Victor A. Kovner was a director at the American Constitution Society, and is the co-chair, JStreetPAC for J Street.

Eric H. Holder Jr. was a board member for the American Constitution Society, and is the attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice for the Barack Obama administration.

Janet Reno is a board of adviser’s member at the American Constitution Society, and was the attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Deborah Sagner was a director at the Democracy Alliance, a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, and is the chair, education fund for J Street.

Thomas R. Pickering is a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was a U.S. ambassador for Israel.

Martin S. Indyk was the VP & director of the Foreign Policy Program for the Brookings Institution (think tank), a U.S. ambassador for Israel, and is a founding director for the Saban Center for Middle East Policy.

Saban Center for Middle East Policy was a policy center for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Haim Saban is a benefactor for the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a friend of Shimon Peres.

Shimon Peres is a friend of Haim Saban, and the president of Israel.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Valerie B. Jarrett is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.  

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for the United Arab Emirates.

League of Arab States is a member of the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the League of Arab States.

Palestine is a member of the League of Arab States.