J Street And The Republican Jewish Coalition Are At War—And Fundraising Off It
Keith Ellison Image by Getty Images
By Nathan Guttman February 21, 2018
Trading barbs is nothing new for the Republican Jewish Coalition or the dovish lobby J Street. One supports Republicans running for Congress, the other raises money for Democrats who share liberal views on Israel, and both have a lot to say about each other.
This latest round of sniping began with the launch of “Stop J Street,” a joint fundraising committee aimed at getting Jewish donors to support Wisconsin Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman, who is being challenged by former J Street political director Dan Kohl. The new fundraising operation was announced on the eve of RJC’s annual meeting held in Las Vegas on February 8.
J Street, in a fundraising letter sent to supporters, warned against the “right-wing megadonors” gathered in Vegas, “desperately searching for a strategy to maintain their extreme-right majority in Congress.” J Street’s solution: “They can have their handful of billionaires, so long as we have you.” To make things even clearer, the liberal group directed its supporters to a fundraising page, asking donors to help reach a fundraising goal of $25,000.
The RJC responded Wednesday with its own email to supporters. “They say we’re afraid of them because they’re involved in a record-setting number of congressional races across the country in 2018,” the appeal reads. “We aren’t afraid of J Street, but we are outraged that a self-proclaimed Jewish group turns its back on Israel and actively supports anti-Semites.”
RJC’s proof: Rep. Keith Ellison, a J Street endorsee and the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, attended a dinner in 2013 sponsored by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and attended by anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The Jewish Republicans offered a similar bottom line to that of J Street – “donate here to fight back,” they urged supporters.
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
