Why We Need a Liberal Israel Lobby at the 92nd Street Y

http://www.92Y.org/jewish The position of the mainstream Israel lobby, AIPAC, conflicts with the views and interests of many American Jews. Debate over American policy in the Middle East and the best way to end the Israeli-Palestinian crisis is broadening. Should military solutions or diplomatic ones be favored? Does the traditional Israel lobby speak for all, or even most, American Jews? How would a liberal Israel lobby approach relations with Iran and Syria and the creation of a viable Palestinian state? Jane Eisner is editor of The Forward. Jeremy Ben-Ami is the executive director of J Street, an organization that promotes meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israel conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. Steve Gutow is an activist, attorney, rabbi and advocate for social justice. He is the executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. He founded the National Jewish Democratic Council and serves as chair of the Save Darfur Coalition. Michelle Goldberg is the author of the New York Times bestseller Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, about the religious right and American politics and the forthcoming The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and The Future of the World. Eric Alterman is a distinguished professor of English at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and a professor of journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is a columnist for The Nation and the author of numerous books, including Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook to Post-Bush America.