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November 29, 2016 8:06 am
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J Street Lies Even to Its Own Members

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avatar by Paul Miller

Opinion
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

If J Street’s supporters knew their donations were helping the very candidates and positions they oppose, they’d close their wallets faster than they’ve closed their minds to voting Republican. But on Election Day, that’s exactly what happened.

J Street supported progressive Democrats who challenged pro-Israel Republicans in swing states — and who championed the Iran deal.

That’s correct. The same deal that guarantees Tehran’s mullahs a nuclear bomb within a decade, provides them with nearly $150 billion in cash to finance terrorism, and is less popular than Obamacare; and this was supposed to lure undecided voters over to Hillary Clinton.

Even for leftist ideologues who are part of the K street culture, a few seconds on Google would have told them that Main Street America did not support the Iran deal. All J Street did was remind voters why Donald Trump and the GOP are more likely to keep their families safe.

But the truth is subjective. Regardless of its defeat, J Street will sell success and victory to its check-writers and mainstream media accomplices who so desperately want it to replace AIPAC as the leading voice of the “pro-Israel” community in Washington.

While J Street tries to woo donors with graphs showing how well their candidates did, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that when you support mostly incumbents in favorably designed districts it will look like you know what you’re doing. The reelection of Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and one of Israel’s most ruthless opponents, Debbie Dingell (D-MI), is not exactly a great achievement. They represent constituencies that would vote for the Easter Bunny if a “D” were next to its name.

This past election cycle, there were 20 key races in the House and Senate in which the Republican Jewish Coalition and J Street went head to head. When it was all done, the RJC beat their progressive counterpart nearly two to one.

Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are two swing states that haven’t swung GOP for President since the 1980s. Yet, J Street entered the political arena in both states, hoping to defeat the GOP senate incumbent. After running an ad denouncing Senators Ron Johnson (R) and Pat Toomey (R) for agreeing with Trump about the Iran nuclear deal, both men were re-elected and the states went GOP for the first time since the advent of the Internet.

You can add to J Street’s failures their efforts in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and to a lesser extent Michigan.

Don’t expect J Street to learn from their drubbing anytime soon. In the advocacy world, results matter only if those who support you care enough to know the truth. Progressives tend to care more about intent than results.

J Street’s next mission is to give cover to Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) during his bid for Democratic National Committee chair. His anti-Israel proclivities and antisemitic ties are undeniable. Still, J Street is selling him as “a true friend to the Jewish people.”

Need I say more?

Paul Miller is President of the news and public policy group Haym Salomon Center. Follow @pauliespoint. A version of this article was published by The Hill.

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