Should J-Street be permitted to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations?

Should J-Street be permitted to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations? Yes, yes, of course.

Today the Times describes what's at stake and includes a quote from some fellow named Farley that sums up what I think is wrong with Orthodox Jewish thinking about Israel.

"Their positions are out of the mainstream of what could be considered acceptable within the Jewish community,” said Farley I. Weiss, an Arizona lawyer who serves as the president of the National Council of Young Israel, an alliance of Orthodox congregations. Mr. Weiss said his organization would vote against admitting J Street to the conference. “I think they are trying to change what pro-Israel means — their positions aren’t pro-Israel positions,” he said."

Farley says three things of which two are laughably wrong. A breakdown:

1. "Their positions are out of the mainstream of what could be considered acceptable within the Jewish community" HAHA no. The "Jewish" community includes the Israelis who vote for liberal parties and all of the American, French, Canadian and British Jews - of all denominations - who agree with those policies. The mainstream includes them, and is not limited to the hard-core Zionists at Farley's kiddush club
2. "their positions aren’t pro-Israel positions," because everyone who disagree with RW Israeli policies hates Israel? This is what small-thinkers think, but it isn't so.
3. "I think they are trying to change what pro-Israel means" Most of the Jewish world, thankfully, already knows you can be pro-Israel without also being pro-settler and pro-Likud. Its Farley Weiss who is outside of the mainstream, here. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/us/jewish-groups-consider-including-j-street.html

Jewish Groups Consider Including J Street

www.nytimes.com

The major coalition of Jewish groups plans to vote on whether to...