Why Hillel should snub J-Street

The Hillel chapter at Swarthmore College has rejected the guidelines of Hillel International which state, in part, “Hillel will not partner with, house or host organizations, groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice: Deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized borders.”

Based on that controversy, Hillel’s CEO and President Eric Fingerhut has called for a review of how his organization’s national 2010 guidelines will be applied to Hillels on college campuses around the country and talked about welcoming other points of view such as those of the faux pro-Israel organization, J-Street,

At a Jan. 12 UCLA conference, titled “Through the Looking Glass: A Glimpse Into the Future of Jewish Life on Campus and Beyond,” Fingerhut insisted that Hillel “remains welcoming of many perspectives on Israel, including those of J-Street University, the campus affiliate of J Street, a pro-Israel group that advocates an end to Israeli settlements.”

While J-Street does advocate an end to Israeli settlements, it is by no means a pro-Israel group.

In 2010, J Street received tens of thousands of dollars in donations from Arab- and Muslim-Americans, according to the Federal Election Commission filings cited by the Jerusalem Post, as well as money from individuals connected to Palestinian and pro-Iranian advocacy groups. In the same year, J Street sent out a mass e-mail opposing a bipartisan push in Congress for tougher sanctions on Iran: “On Iran, the President is promoting tough, direct diplomacy to address concerns over their nuclear program, support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and threats against Israel. The President has made clear that the diplomatic road ahead will be tough -- but the chances of success won’t be helped by Congress imposing tight time lines or a new round of sanctions at this moment.”