J Street head says Harris could move pro-Palestinian protesters to more nuanced view of war

CHICAGO — Jeremy Ben Ami, who heads the dovish Mideast lobby J Street, argues that “it is the mainstream American Jewish position to feel that this government of Israel is out of step with our values and the ways in which we view the war.”

“There’s no reason why we can’t help young people who share that view, which is the very mainstream view, to find the language to express that and to understand the history of the Jewish people,” Ben Ami says during an event on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago organized by the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

Ben Ami urges the 200-or-so in the room to avoid writing off all of the far-left pro-Palestinian protesters who have taken to the streets to protest against the war in Gaza.

Ben Ami indicates that Harris is well-equipped to move these protesters toward more nuanced positions, branding the vice president as “an incredible messenger of empathy.”

He recalls how after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, Harris gave a press statement talking about the importance of “getting beyond a binary” regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ben Ami says this message speaks to young American Jews, who also hold “a great deal of empathy for the Palestinian civilians of Gaza” alongside their longheld connections to the State of Israel.

The J Street chief touts the new Democratic Party ticket as one that brings “balance” to the issue, indicating that the Biden administration leaned more toward Israel.

“This party’s ticket brings a balance that recognizes that we have to have rights and freedom and safety and security for both Israelis and Palestinians — that is what separates us from the Republican Party.”