If, like me, what you've wished for is that some day an Israeli government will withdraw from most of the West Bank, work to eliminate poverty and narrow the growing gap between rich and poor, and end the special preferences granted Orthodoxy, the government that emerges from the March 28 election could be your dream come true.

Three things seem clear:

(1) A "coalition of the willing"-willing to unilaterally withdraw from most of the remaining occupied territory by 2010 if negotiations with the Palestinian Authority are not productive - will coalesce in the next few weeks.

(2) There is only one party that Kadima absolutely needs for that coalition to function, and that is the revived Labor Party, the socialist party that won 20 seats. No other party in the coalition, and no likely combination of parties, will be able to bring down the government. (I would bet dollars to donuts that as I'm writing this, and as the acting prime minister is deep into negotiations with potential coalition partners, Labor, Meretz and Pensioners' Party leaders, having won 32 seats as compared to Kadima's 29, are meeting to agree on the social program they will insist upon in their discussions with Ehud Olmert).

(3) For sure no religious party or combination of religious parties will have the clout they had in years gone by.

AIPAC is the face and voice of American Jewry on Middle East issues. At least that is what most legislators and those in the executive branch of government believe. The dilemma is that AIPAC is: (1) influential, (2) is perceived to be very influential, which adds to its actual influence (3) the target of those who would seek to undermine pro-Israel lobbying in America in order to change America’s foreign policy regarding the Middle East, and, unfortunately, (4) does not represent the viewpoint of most American Jews. The problem is serious and does not have an easy solution.

Many years ago there appeared in the leading foreign policy magazine Foreign Affairs, an article exploring the influence of domestic politics on American foreign policy. The article analyzed a number of American ethnic groups and their attempts to influence American foreign policy. The article concluded that only one ethnic group had achieved success. Guess who. The conclusion undoubtedly was the purpose of the article, the rest of the analysis just filler to make the article not appear to be a direct attack on the pro-Israel lobby. In the circumstances of the time, the article obtained very little traction. The issue has, however, returned, and circumstances have changed.

Senators:
David J. Brightbill Telephone: (717) 787-5708 E-Mail Address: dbrightbill@pasen.gov     Jeffrey E. Piccola Telephone: (717) 787-6801 E-Mail Address: jpiccola@pasen.gov Joseph B. Scarnati Telephone: (717) 787-7084 E-Mail Address: jscarnati@pasen.gov	Gibson E. Armstrong Telephone: (717) 787-6535 Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-235-1313 E-Mail Address: garmstrong@pasen.gov Roger A. Madigan Telephone: (717) 787-3280 E-Mail Address: rmadigan@pasen.gov Noah W. Wenger Telephone: (717) 787-4420 E-Mail Address: Nwenger@pasen.gov

 
In September 2005, JSPAN President Jeffrey Pasek and Rabbi Michael Holzman testified before the Pennsylvania Senate Labor & Industry panel on the need to raise the minimum wage. Click here to view the full testimony

Senator Santorum opposes a path to citizenship, which he calls “amnesty.” He needs to hear that his constituents support comprehensive immigration reform that includes an earned path to citizenship. Call Senator Santorum at (202) 224-6324 or (215) 864-6900.

Senator Specter supports a path to citizenship, so call to thank him for his leadership on this issue at (202) 224-4254.

A recent Pew Poll has found decreasing opposition to gay marriage, as well as adoption by gay couples and gays serving in the military. For more information click here.

Also, as we mentioned in a recent newsletter, the Conservative movement was about to reconsider its position on performing gay marriage and the ordination of gay clergy. Since then, the Conservative movement has changed its stance on the way in which these issues will be considered and the votes needed to revise its policies. For more information, please see "Conservative rabbis lower threshold on gay policy."

Two programs will be presented in the Philadelphia area on the crisis in Darfur. On Saturday, April 8, 2006, Ruth Messinger, President and Executive Director of the American Jewish World Service, willl present her first-hand accounts of the crisis in Darfur. On Saturday, April 22nd, at Main Line Reform Temple, Abigail Fleishman, Darfur campaign organizer for the American Jewish World Service, will discuss Darfur and offer strategies to stop the massacre.

For information on both programs, please click here.

SaveDarfur.org provides a list of programs throughout the country on the genocide in Darfur. For a list of other programs, in the Philadelphia area, on the Darfur crisis please click here.