J Street 'thrilled' by turnout at first national conference

[iandhr]

Source: Haaretz

The pro-Israel lobby J Street kicked off its first national conference on Sunday with more than 1,500 guests at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Despite controversy and tension surrounding the convention, organizers said the attendance exceeded expectations.

Numerous peace activists, politicians, diplomats, lobbyists, male and female rabbis, political advisers, artists, students and journalists filled the halls. Participants who spilled out from over-crowded panel rooms sat in a circle on the lobby carpet, heatedly discussing the state of left-wing activists in Israel and the United States, religion and the new media.

"We couldn't be more thrilled," said J Street executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami. "The numbers of participants far exceeded our expectations - 148 congressmen supported the event, 250 students and reporters from 17 countries came. This is truly the birth of a movement. It demonstrates the vacuum and the desire to promote peace now, when it's more urgent than ever... Our vision for peace is very clear - two states based on '67."

"Violence might break out, there are extremists on both sides," he continued. "But we can't allow the extremists to prevent a better future for both sides."

A reporter asked Ben-Ami how J Street could be pro-Israel when Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren had boycotted the event. "The Israeli ambassador is making a serious mistake. This is part of the Jewish community and to refuse to engage with us is a serious mistake, as it is to refuse to engage with those seeking to promote peace. I wish he were here even to express his disagreement. We do love Israel, we do support Israel. we have questions regarding its policy," Ben-Ami said.

Read more: J Street 'thrilled' by turnout at first national conference

[Demit]

1. link?

[Kolesar]

3. www.haaretz.com

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1123816.html

Participants will throng to Capitol Hill today and tomorrow for more than 200 meetings in Congress. They intend to explain to the congressmen and their aides that the Jewish American community has more than one voice, that active involvement in the peace process is a basic interest of both the United States and Israel, and that the preferred solution to the Iranian issue is the diplomatic process.

[damntexdem]

2. A split in Zionism is good.

But the really hard hard-liners are still in the ascendency.

[annabanana]

4. Step in the right direction .. . . . . n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

5. I'm glad the conference was a success despite the attempts of some to derail it.n/t

[Vidar]

6. K&R

[Turborama]

7. K&R Videos here>>>

There's a link to short interviews with attendees under the embedded video: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x394991