Israeli ambassador: J Street “significantly out of the mainstream”

Israeli ambassador Michael Oren attacked the dovish lobbying group J Street this week in far more explicit terms than he has previously:

Addressing a breakfast session at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s biennial convention December 7, Ambassador Michael Oren described J Street as “a unique problem in that it not only opposes one policy of one Israeli government, it opposes all policies of all Israeli governments. It’s significantly out of the mainstream.”

After a speech that touched on the spiritual basis for and the threats to the state of Israel, Oren issued an unscripted condemnation of J Street.

“This is not a matter of settlements here [or] there. We understand there are differences of opinion,” Oren said. “But when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state, there should be no differences of opinion. You are fooling around with the lives of 7 million people. This is no joke.”

In an unfortunate coincidence of timing, Oren’s words came on the same day that J Street came out in favor of strict petroleum sanctions on Iran.

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images