J Street Conversations

Where American Jews Really Stand on the War with Iran by J Street

US and Iran Agree to a Ceasefire. Now What? by J Street

Are You a Zionist? A Conversation Across the Divide by J Street

Stacey Abrams on How We Take Back Power: A special edition of Word on the Street by J Street

ICYMI: Daniel Biss on Why this Victory Belongs to J Street by J Street

(Recorded February 28, 2026) | LIVE from J Street's National Convention: In Conversation with Ehud Olmert, Elana Kaminka, and Rula Daood by J Street

Jeremy was traveling today, so I hosted Word on the Street Live solo and sat down with my old friend and colleague from the Obama and Biden Administrations, Andrew Miller, for a conversation rooted in what he calls the “Israel Exception.” Andrew, an alum of the State Department and the National Security Council, argued that Israel gets a level of political, military and diplomatic cover no other ally does, and when there are no consequences for its actions, private pressure simply doesn’t work. That dynamic hasn’t just failed Palestinians; it’s failed Israelis and Americans too. He argues instead that it’s time to “normalize” the US-Israel relationship. That doesn’t mean walking away from the relationship, but putting some limits on it. We used that lens to talk about Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, Israel’s latest moves in the West Bank, and what a real reset in US-Israel relations could look like. We also talked about the special election primary in New Jersey and the flood of AIPAC money. I’ve supported building bipartisan backing for the US-Israel relationship – but Andrew and I agree: Dumping Republican money into a Democratic primary and painting mainstream criticism as disqualifying doesn’t build any support for Israel. It creates fear and chaos, and in the long run, is destructive to our democracy.

Today on Word on the Street Live, we were joined by Rabbis Sharon Kleinbaum and Tamar Magill-Grimm for a powerful and unsettling conversation about what’s unfolding in Minneapolis/St. Paul – and what it’s demanding of Jewish leaders right now. Rabbi Magill-Grimm leads a Twin Cities–area synagogue and was among local clergy who helped amplify and participate in the call for national faith leaders to come to Minneapolis in solidarity with immigrant communities targeted by ICE. Rabbi Kleinbaum answered that call and traveled in from New York City to join the convening. We heard first from them about the situation on the ground and what the Minneapolis/St. Paul community is enduring. Here’s a snapshot of what else we covered: - Torah, memory and moral responsibility. We dug into what Jewish texts demand in moments like this: Welcoming the stranger, protecting the vulnerable and refusing state violence. We also wrestled with history: The echoes of MLK Jr.’s call on clergy to march in Selma and where Holocaust analogies illuminate versus where they risk obscuring more than they clarify. - ICE, the West Bank and abuse of power. Ilan reflected on his writing about comparisons between ICE agents and violent West Bank settlers – not as a slogan, but as a way of naming shared patterns of state-backed or state-enabled violence and the dispossession of vulnerable people from their homes. - What comes next for the Jewish community. We closed by asking what responsibility lies beyond individual rabbis and with established Jewish institutions that should be willing to lead. It’s not just faith leaders who are being asked to choose between caution and conscience; it’s all of us. We’re deeply grateful to Rabbis Kleinbaum and Magill-Grimm for joining us, and we hope their words and actions can instill more moral leadership in our grim reality.

Today, we sat down with Daniel Biss – Evanston mayor and J Street–endorsed congressional candidate – to dig into the issues driving his campaign for Illinois’ 9th District. With just 48 days until the primary, this local race has taken on national significance, fueled by a crowded field, major outside spending and intense debate over issues like Israel-Palestine and immigration enforcement. We talked with Mayor Biss about what it means to run a progressive campaign in a district under the microscope. Here’s a preview: - Israel, Gaza and AIPAC’s role in the race. Daniel clearly laid out his positions on the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict and US security assistance to Israel. We asked him about how AIPAC’s outside donors have attempted to shape this primary and why he refuses to be boxed in by pressure campaigns while voters care about a much broader set of issues. - ICE brutality in Chicago. Daniel shared what he’s seen locally, from confronting Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino directly to how Chicago’s immigrant communities are being impacted by ICE’s fear campaign. - What he’d do in Congress. We wrapped by asking Daniel what his top priorities would be if elected and how he sees his progressive leadership building on J Street champion Jan Schakowsky’s legacy. There’s a lot packed into this conversation, and it’s worth a watch if you want to understand how grassroots activism, national politics and community impacts are playing out in one of the most-watched Democratic primaries this year.

We covered a lot of ground on Word on the Street Live this week. The common thread? The norms that have shaped world events throughout our lives are shattered; the strong are trying again to ‘do what they can’ as Thucydides wrote, and those of us fighting for what is right have our work cut out for us. Here’s a preview of the topics we covered in this week’s discussion: - Phase Two of the ceasefire, the Board of Peace and Israel’s pushback. What’s positive about developments around the 20-point plan, what’s not and what is certifiably insane, including the new “Board of Peace.” - A world without guardrails. In just a matter of days, the US seized the Venezuelan leader, threatened to attack Iran and postured around taking control of Greenland. We talked about an important speech by Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney in which he warned that the global order has been ruptured and what it means when power concentrates, rules blur and smaller countries start looking for new alliances. - The state of Democratic politics on Israel. AIPAC’s attack on pro-Israel Democrat Tom Malinowski, Republican money reshaping Democratic primaries, and whether questions about Israel during Josh Shapiro’s VP vetting were run-of-the-mill or a “loyalty test” – all point to how toxic, broken and unsustainable the status quo around this issue has become. If you like the episode, please give it a like here on Substack. And make sure you’re subscribed to tune into Word on the Street Live in the coming weeks. We’re thrilled to be joined next Wednesday at 4pm Eastern by Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, Illinois and candidate running to represent the ninth district of Illinois in Congress.

Today, I was joined by J Street’s own Hannah Morris, Vice President of Government Affairs, and Tali DeGroot, Vice President of Political and Digital Strategy, for a conversation about where this political moment is heading – and how J Street is preparing for 2026. We zeroed in on the terrain we’re navigating right now: Democratic primaries, the upcoming midterm elections, the legislative battles underway in DC and how J Street is positioning itself to win concrete outcomes in 2026. In a wide-ranging conversation, we explored: - Where Democrats are on Israel-Palestine right now. We looked at whether there is a new baseline inside the Party, and what it looks like in practice – including through case studies of races from around the country where our issues are playing an important role in primaries and voters are showing us what actually resonates. - Policy fights on the Hill. Hannah walked through where arms sales and conditioning debates actually stand, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act and how sanctioning violent settlers has rapidly become the Democratic baseline. - Republicans, Trump and a changing right. We talked frankly about the Trump Administration’s role in getting the ceasefire deal – and the current stall on moving into Phase 2. We also discussed how Republicans are increasingly breaking with the Israeli government from an “America First” angle. There’s a lot more in the full conversation, and I think this was one of our most clarifying strategy discussions yet. I hope you’ll watch the recording and share it with anyone trying to understand where these debates are actually heading.

Ilan and Jeremy dug into the Trump-Netanyahu visit, what our takeaways were, and what the latest updates mean for the future of Gaza, the West Bank, and more. In our conversation, we dove deeper into: The differences between the public appearance - Trump and Bibi praising one another - and the reporting of the tensions in the meeting itself around Israel’s annexation of the West Bank and relationships with other leaders in the Middle East. The current dynamics between leadership in the Middle East, and the potential for yet another conflict in Iran, just six months after the 12 day war The future of the Gaza ceasefire - is the arrow pointing in the right direction? Where do we stand, and will there be further movement in January? Upcoming elections in 2026, in both Israel and the United States, and what those possibilities of change in leadership and governance could mean for the future of all of these questions. --- Be sure to tune in and give the conversation a listen. Wishing you and yours a peaceful start to 2026 - we’re looking forward to continue to work together towards a pro-Israel, pro-peace, and pro-democracy future we can all be proud of.

Today on Word on the Street Live, I sat down with Ben Cohen – activist, philanthropist and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s – for a conversation about ice cream, activism and the ways personal values can guide public action. Over a pint, we explored: How Ben’s Jewish upbringing shaped his commitment to justice in Israel and Palestine, the origins of Ben & Jerry’s and its deeply rooted social mission championing progressive causes. The corporate challenges post-Unilever sale, including the decision to stop selling in West Bank settlements and the ongoing Free Ben & Jerry’s campaign. Ben’s broader activism launching the Up in Arms campaign to challenge Pentagon spending and redirect resources toward education, healthcare and childcare. The conversation reminded us that activism, as hard as it can be, can and should also be joyful. Ben’s work is a vivid example of how we can push for meaningful change while staying true to our values. I hope you take that away, too. A quick note: Next week, Ilan Goldenberg and I will discuss Netanyahu and Trump’s meeting at Mar-a-Lago. This won’t be at our standard 4pm Eastern on Wednesday, so look out for the alert Monday or Tuesday to watch live or catch the recap. We’re back to regularly scheduled programming on Wednesday, January 7! Happy holidays!

How to Combat Antisemitism: A Conversation with Amy Spitalnick | Word on the Street by J Street

Today, we sat down with Dan Shapiro, former US Ambassador to Israel and senior official in both the State Department and Pentagon, for a conversation that cut straight to a central question many Americans are asking: How can the US influence Israel’s choices, especially after the horror in Gaza? Dan brought decades of experience and a perspective shaped by both principle and pragmatism. This wasn’t just a policy rundown, it was a real, honest debate about US leverage over Israel – what’s too little, what’s too far and what’s just right. We also explored: Charting a practical Democratic path. We dug into how Democrats can navigate between reflexive “no daylight” support and calls to withhold all assistance. Fellow Obama alum Ben Rhodes’ recent New York Times op-ed. Dan discussed his disagreements with his former colleague, especially when it came to Ben’s call to refuse to provide military assistance to Israel. Regional dynamics and Phase II of the ceasefire. Drawing on his recent travel to Doha and Riyadh, Dan shared insights on Gulf involvement, the 20-point peace plan and the prospects for a Palestinian Authority-led government. This conversation is full of analysis, disagreements in good faith and lessons for anyone thinking about how Democrats can be both effective and principled on Israel-Palestine.

In our latest Word on the Street, we were joined by Ben Rhodes for a conversation that felt, honestly, like one we’ve been waiting to have in public. Ben’s recent New York Times piece has stirred up exactly the kind of debate Democrats need heading into 2026 and 2028, and our discussion dug into the political, moral and strategic stakes in a way that felt unusually direct for this space. In a wide-ranging discussion, we explored: - How we got here. Ben reflected on how, inside the Obama Administration and in the years after, the Democratic Party’s pro-Israel talking points became disconnected from the reality on the ground – and how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a niche policy issue to a central values test for Democratic voters. - Where Democrats go from here. We explored why the old AIPAC-era playbook – unconditional support, public silence, hugging Netanyahu – has collapsed. We laid out a new lane that avoids both reflexive pro-Israelism and maximalist anti-Zionism, emphasizing authenticity, accountability and real US leverage. - The situation on the ground now. The ceasefire may have stopped the bombing, but it hasn’t resolved the crisis. We discussed the dire conditions in Gaza, the risk of treating the ceasefire as closure and why both Hamas and Netanyahu have incentives to maintain an unacceptable status quo. There’s much more in the full conversation, and Ben’s candor made this one of our most clarifying discussions yet. We hope you’ll give it a watch and share it with anyone trying to understand where Democrats go next.

This week on Word on the Street Live, we dug into Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-stakes visit to Washington – his first since 2018 – and what it reveals about the future of the US-Saudi relationship in the shadow of the war in Gaza. I was joined by Daniel Benaim, who helped lead US engagement with the Saudis during the Biden Administration. We discussed: What was – and wasn’t – accomplished during the visit. Trump gave MBS full head-of-state treatment, but there was no real progress on Saudi-Israel normalization. As Dan emphasized, Israel simply isn’t prepared to say what the Saudis need to hear – especially on Palestinian statehood. MBS’s complicated domestic and global image. For young Saudis, MBS has opened up society – social freedoms, expanded roles for women, cultural transformation – all while remaining firmly authoritarian. And the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Dan noted, will never be erased from US-Saudi relations. How Gaza reshaped Saudi politics. Saudi leaders initially expected the Gaza war to be short, like previous rounds. Instead, the war triggered an intense, visceral public response. Young Saudis mobilized around Gaza in ways their government could not ignore – and the leadership became far more outspoken as a result. A rich conversation about a relationship that will likely shape Middle East politics for decades – and one that Washington can neither ignore nor approach blindly.

J Street held a timely conversation with leading Israeli and Palestinian humanitarian experts examining the ongoing crisis in Gaza, even amid a ceasefire. Speakers explored the human impact of current policies — including restrictions on aid and medical access — and outlined what must change to meaningfully address urgent civilian needs. Featuring: • Bushra Khalidi, Palestinian Policy Lead, Oxfam • Dr. Guy Shalev, Executive Director, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel • Tania Hary, Executive Director, Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement

We were joined by longtime political strategist and labor leader Michael Podhorzer for a Word on the Street Live conversation unpacking what last week’s election results really tell us about the state of American politics – and what it will take to pull the country out of its democratic crisis. In a wide-ranging discussion, we explored: - A new kind of political terrain. Between the Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine elections and the Roberts Court’s rulings dismantling long-standing guardrails, we’re now, as Michael put it, in “brand new territory.” - Democratic complacency and alienation. Michael called out the Democratic establishment, saying too many voters feel trapped between “a fascist and a Party defending the status quo.” - Building a broader coalition. To truly win power – and wield it – Democrats need a diverse coalition of candidates who reflect the full range of the party’s voters, not a narrow ideological lane. After saying goodbye to Michael, we turned to Israel, Palestine and the week’s news on our issues – from Jared Kushner’s visit to the region to continue implementing the 20-point plan, to Trump’s demand that Netanyahu be pardoned to the resignation of Minister Ron Dermer, one of Netanyahu’s closest confidants, to visits by the Syrian and Saudi leaders, to our advocacy work demanding settler terrorists be sanctioned by the US.

On Monday, Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will walk into the White House – marking the start of a new chapter for US-Syria relations. The J Street Policy Center hosted a briefing on the current situation in Syria and Lebanon, where the political dynamics are also rapidly shifting. We were joined by regional experts Ibrahim Al-Assil and Jasmine El-Gamal.

This week on Word on the Street Live, we unpacked Democrats’ sweeping victories across the country – and what they reveal about the state of the country one year into Trump’s second term. Then we turned to New York, where Phylisa Wisdom of New York Jewish Agenda joined us to explore Zohran Mamdani’s win in NYC. We discussed: What Mayor-elect Mamdani’s victory means for New York’s Jewish community – and why engagement, not fear, must guide our community moving forward. The ADL’s “Mamdani tracker” – and why, when Jewish institutions fight hate selectively, they risk stoking fear instead of advancing safety for all New Yorkers. Reflections on Phylisa’s recent trip to Israel/Palestine with J Street – watching Israelis breathe again after the ceasefire and visiting the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, where Israeli authorities have issued demolition orders. A thoughtful, grounded conversation about democracy, fear and the work of staying in the fight.

Join J Street for a special conversation marking 30 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This call was moderated by J Street's Shimrit Braun Kamin and featuring Yael Patir, Israeli policy expert and former J Street Israel Director, and Aaron David Miller, veteran American diplomat who worked closely with Rabin during the Oslo years.

We held a conversation with Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at HIAS to explore how HIAS’s work — from the US to across the world — reflects the Jewish call to speak out against injustice and stand with those being targeted.

This week on Word on the Street Live, we spoke with Congressman Adam Smith – Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and one of the most thoughtful foreign policy voices in DC – about what comes next after the ceasefire. The conversation was frank, forward-looking and packed with insight. Congressman Smith calls this a “transitional moment” – one where US policy, Israeli politics and regional dynamics are all shifting in real time. We explored: What the ceasefire means for Gaza’s future. Why support for Israel has dropped significantly in the US – and what that means for the relationship going forward. Whether sanctions or even arms restrictions in the West Bank might be necessary tools to influence a right-wing Israeli government. How conditioning US aid to Israel, once a political third rail, is now part of the mainstream debate. And the big question: Can Israel truly thrive on the world stage without ensuring rights and dignity for Palestinians? We’re not going back to the October 6th way of thinking. So what’s the new path – for Israel, for the US and for those of us who still believe in a just and secure future for both peoples? Tune in.

J Street Chief of Staff Adina Vogel-Ayalon spoke with Kareem Alsalqawi, a doctor working in Gaza’s hospitals, Angela Mattar, a coexistence activist, and Khalil Sayegh, a Gaza-born policy expert to reflect on the ongoing struggle for survival, justice and dignity in Gaza.

We sat down for a rapid response briefing with Gershon Baskin – one of Israel’s most seasoned hostage negotiators, and someone who’s been in direct touch with the people making this ceasefire happen. In our conversation, Gershon takes us inside the backchannels – sharing what he’s been hearing from Steve Witkoff, Arab leaders across the region and even Hamas officials about what made this deal finally come together. He walks us through: - What really shifted in recent weeks to move both the Israeli government and Hamas toward an agreement - The behind-the-scenes guarantees and commitments international partners have given for Gaza’s recovery - And why he believes this time is different – and what it means to say, finally, that the war is over Tune in for a rare, firsthand look at how diplomacy actually unfolds, and what this moment could mean, should mean, for Israelis and Palestinians.

We heard from three extraordinary Israelis whose lives were forever changed that day. Sharone Lifschitz, whose parents were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz – her father, Oded, was murdered in Gaza. Elana Kaminka, whose son, Lt. Yannai Kaminka, was killed by Hamas while fighting to protect his trainees. And Emmanuelle Elbaz-Phelps, a journalist who’s helped Israel reckon with its trauma and the ongoing struggle to bring the hostages home. We came together with our partners in the Progressive Israel Network to face the grief of that day and everything that’s followed – and to remember the moral responsibility to keep fighting for the living, even as we mourn the dead.

This week on Word on the Street Live, I sat down with New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, one of the sharpest observers of our political moment. She predicted the rise of Christian Nationalism decades ago – and now it’s reshaping our country.

This week on Word on the Street Live, we stepped back from the news cycle for a different kind of conversation. With Yehuda Kurtzer of the Shalom Hartman Institute, we dove into the themes of the High Holidays – reflection, atonement, forgiveness and renewal – and how they speak to this complicated moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Thanks for reading Word on the Street! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Yehuda pushed us to explain ourselves, to think outside our comfort zones and to wrestle with the hardest questions about Jewish identity, Zionism and moral responsibility. Yehuda reminded us that disagreement has always been a source of strength in Jewish life, and that imagination about what Israel could be has too often been replaced with a narrow discourse of loyalty. The most pressing challenge Israel faces, which we couldn’t agree more with, is the question of ruling over millions of Palestinians – and our job is to bring Jewish values to bear on that reality. Our conversation circled back to humility. Our values, as Yehuda said, don’t mean anything unless they’re put into practice. For us, that means holding onto the core belief that Zionism should be about participation in a collective project – one rooted not only in nationalism, but in the moral vision that defines Judaism itself.

J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, Policy Chief Ilan Goldenberg, Chief of Staff Adina Vogel Ayalon, and Policy Fellow Frank Lowenstein discuss today's meeting in DC between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu and examine the proposed Gaza deal.

Olive trees uprooted, farmland turned into wasteland. Water lines cut and tanks punctured, leaving families without drinking water. Homes torched in the dead of night, families terrorized by violent settlers ransacking their communities. And the perpetrators walk free. These are the scenes across Area C of the occupied West Bank, in Palestinian villages like Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta. We heard directly from Eid Hathaleen, a non-violent activist from Umm al-Khair whose cousin was murdered by a violent settler in July, and Yehuda Shaul, a former IDF soldier and leading Israeli anti-occupation policy expert.

This week on Word on the Street Live, I spoke with three Jewish student leaders on the front lines of campus debates over Israel, Palestine and antisemitism: Hannah Gabelnick, a senior at Princeton and co-chair of J Street U there, who also leads Princeton’s Reform Jewish Community. Matan Berg, a junior at the University of Michigan and former J Street U chapter president, now serving as Midwest VP of J Street U. Tova Kaplan, a senior at Harvard who co-founded Students for Freedom, pushing back against government attacks on academic freedom and student rights. Read about Students for Freedom’s work. We dug into the big questions: What does antisemitism on campus actually look and feel like nearly two years after October 7? What happens when Trump twists the fight against antisemitism into an excuse to go after free speech?

This week on Word on the Street Live, Ilan was joined by our good friend Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, whose new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, comes out Tuesday, September 16. After Randi signed off, my colleague Hannah Morris, Director of J Street Government Affairs, joined me to reflect on the latest developments after Israel’s strike on Hamas leadership in Doha. Hannah previewed our next advocacy push on the Hill: Prohibiting US arms from being used in Netanyahu’s war in Gaza or annexation of the West Bank, punishing settler violence and urging US recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Democracy Under Fire in Israel and the US, featuring Ambassador Norm Eisen by J Street

This week on Word on the Street Live, we took stock of a fast-moving moment in both Israel and Washington. We began with the situation on the ground: The devastating hospital bombing in Gaza, reports of confirmed famine, and the growing frustration inside Israel itself as hostage families and hundreds of thousands of protesters defy Netanyahu and demand a ceasefire deal. From there, the conversation turned to Washington, where Democrats in Congress are responding with notable urgency. We walked through two major letters that drew wide and diverse Democratic support: One urging the resumption of lifesaving medical visas for children in Gaza, the other calling for an immediate surge of infant formula and humanitarian aid. We also attempted to capture the bigger picture surrounding the future of the Democratic Party, following votes on two Israel/Gaza-related DNC resolutions and a decision by DNC Chair Ken Martin to postpone any final votes and establish a task force on the issue. What will it take to unite the Democratic Party behind a new approach, and has that process already begun? We hope you enjoy watching, and we look forward to seeing you again next week.

This week on Word on the Street Live, we sat down with Congressman Ro Khanna – and it was one of the most open conversations we’ve hosted yet. Ro has always been willing to say things that many in Congress avoid: Calling for the US to recognize a Palestinian state, pressing for restrictions on arms shipments to Israel, championing Congressional War Powers and naming Gaza as a defining moral issue of our time. We talked about the shifts happening on Capitol Hill and in the American public and about J Street’s role in these important changes. We discussed why there is now a moment of opportunity to unify the Democratic Party on the issues of Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And we spoke about a new letter he is leading - and that J Street is supporting - on American recognition of Palestine. We also spent time on the bigger picture: How Democrats can reach across the aisle and connect with younger voters through new platforms and how to model the courage our politics so badly needs right now. It was a conversation that felt honest, unguarded and rooted in a real desire to imagine something better.

Featuring Gaza Humanitarian Foundation whistleblower Tony Aguilar and leading Israeli aid advocate and Gisha Executive Director Tania Hary in conversation with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to further escalate the war in Gaza is the equivalent of being stuck in a ditch and deciding that the solution is to dig deeper. Peter Lerner – a 25-year IDF veteran who served as its international spokesperson joined us on Word on the Street Live to unpack the life-or-death stakes of the extremist government’s decisions. Speaking from a military perspective, Peter offered a candid assessment of Netanyahu’s disastrous approach to this war, from the Cabinet’s plan to reoccupy Gaza to the severe limitations on aid to civilians – and why changing course is a core security imperative. From there, we turned to Peter for his take on not only how the war has damaged Israel’s credibility on the world stage, but how the Israeli public itself is reckoning with these perceptions.

Jeremy and Ilan report from the ground - in Hebron, near Gaza, and across Israel/Palestine

Featuring: Sam Berkman, National Director of Communal Relations, J Street Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Rabbi Josh Weinberg, URJ Vice President for Israel and Reform Zionism; Executive Director of ARZA Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President and CEO, Reconstructing Judaism Offir Gutelzon, co-founder, UnXeptable Rabbi Justus Baird, Senior Vice President, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America Hadar Susskind, President and CEO, New Jewish Narrative Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson, Executive Director, Partners for Progressive Israel Elisheva Goldberg, Senior Director of Media and Policy, New Israel Fund Shanie Reichman, Director of Strategic initiatives and IPF Atid, Israel Policy Forum

There is a shift happening in Israel. Images of suffering in Gaza are breaking through like never before. A growing number of reservists are refusing to serve in Gaza. Protesters are marching in the streets for a war-ending hostage deal. We’ll be joined by some of those advocates on the ground: Alana Zeitchik, a hostage family member, Max Kresch, a combat soldier refusing to return to serve in Gaza, and Shir Nosatzki, a peace advocate rallying Israelis to call for an end to the war. --- Learn more about J Street at http://jstreet.org Follow us on: Instagram: instagram.com/jstreetdotorg X: http://x.com/jstreetdotorg Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jstreetdotor... Facebook: facebook.com/jstreetdotorg Subscribe to our podcast on: Spotify: http://jstreet.org/spotify Apple Podcasts: http://jstreet.org/apple

Word on the Street LIVE with Peter Beinart by J Street

Word on the Street Live with American Hostage Family Member Jonathan Dekel-Chen by J Street

Live with Brad Lander and Trump-Bibi Analysis by J Street

Featuring J Street Policy Fellows Frank Lowenstein and Yael Patir

Featuring Jeremy Ben-Ami, Ilan Goldenberg, Shifra Sered of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Author Laura E. Adkins, and Editor Talia Benamy

Featuring: Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz J Street Policy Fellow Frank Lowenstein J Street Director of Government Affairs Hannah Morris

The fighting between Israel and Iran is intensifying. Casualties on both sides are mounting. With residents of Tehran fleeing the capital and Israelis rushing into bomb shelters, the conflict is already taking an enormous toll on civilians with no end in sight. To assess everything at stake, we held a J Street Policy Center briefing featuring Iran experts Ali Vaez and Sima Shine, moderated by J Street’s Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg. Note: Sima was calling in while in transit to be closer to a bomb shelter in Israel. As such, her audio cuts out from time to time.

Last night, the Netanyahu government unilaterally struck Iran, damaging a nuclear facility and assassinating top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded swiftly, launching at least a hundred drones that the IDF has intercepted. What might come next – and the toll it could take on innocent Israelis and Iranians – is deeply disturbing. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami was joined by our Chief of Policy Ilan Goldenberg, who’s spent a significant amount of his public service career focused on diplomacy with Iran, as well as J Street Policy Fellows Jen Gavito and Frank Lowenstein, as well as Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association.

President Trump takes off for the Middle East on Monday. There’s no shortage of pressing issues up for discussion in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. However, it's still unclear what Trump’s reaction will be to the Israeli government’s newly announced plans to re-seize large swaths of Gaza, and how the announcement might impact his discussions. Notably missing from the itinerary? A stop in Israel. This comes despite reported lobbying on behalf of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political confidants. J Street's Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg sat down with Middle East experts and former senior State Department officials Ambassador Michael Ratney and Jen Gavito to talk through what to expect on Trump’s visit.