National Security Adviser Jim Jones is getting out more — and this is an excellent thing. He recently reinforced the Obama administration’s commitment to an active role in Israel-Palestine issues at the annual gala dinner of the American Task Force on Palestine.
Jones is also going to be serving as one of the lead keynote speakers at the first major J Street national policy conference. While Israel Ambassador to the US Michael Oren has officially declined J Street’s invitation to attend the meeting, the fact that Jones is going to be there is significant.
Jones, of course, has also and should continue to speak at AIPAC annual conferences and should speak to broader Arab Middle East groups.
The US can’t afford making a false choice between Israel’s interests and other Arab states’. As far as J Street versus its competition goes, it’s a mistake not to embrace heterodoxy of views when it comes to the contours of the US-Israel relationship.
Competition is good in most things – even among interest groups in the same policy arena.
— Steve Clemons
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