Netanyahu's actions eroding bipartisan US support for Israel, J Street policy chief tells 'Post'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies are increasingly alienating segments of American society, eroding bipartisan support for Israel, according to Ilan Goldenberg, J Street's senior vice president and chief policy officer. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Goldenberg argued that the liberal Zionist perspective, which he believes represents the middle ground for most Americans and U.S. Jews, is essential for stabilizing the relationship between the two nations.

Goldenberg, a former adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, observed a polarization in the political discourse surrounding Israel. He noted that since October 8, 2023, loud voices on one extreme have accused Israel of genocide, while another extreme offers unconditional support for Netanyahu. He stated that the majority of Americans and U.S. Jews are being drowned out by these fringes. "We want to support Israel, we want Israel to thrive as a Jewish democratic state, and we want Palestinians to have freedom and security and a state of their own," Goldenberg said, describing the views of this overlooked majority. "We are horrified by October 7 and the attacks by Hamas. We are not happy and horrified by the way the Israeli government has gone about things in Gaza."

Despite polling indicating growing frustration with Israel among Democrats, Goldenberg asserted that this does not signal a desire to abandon the relationship entirely. He pointed to the electoral success of Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in a Democratic primary for an Illinois congressional seat as evidence of this middle ground. Biss, who expressed a liberal Zionist perspective, defeated candidates with clearer anti-Zionist and pro-Netanyahu stances. Goldenberg sees such candidates as crucial for building a platform that speaks to the "overwhelming majority of American Jews" who wish to support Israel while also being able to voice disagreements.

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we want to support Israel, we want Israel to thrive as a Jewish democratic state, and we want Palestinians to have freedom and security and a state of their own. We are horrified by October 7 and the attacks by Hamas. We are not happy and horrified by the way the Israeli government has gone about things in Gaza.