Israel Matzav

The Left laments J Street

James Besser laments over the breach of trust resulting from J Street's out and out lies about their donors (via Kampeas).

I was one of the many journalists who asked the question – and received in return something significantly less than the truth. Okay, it was a lie.

Why this is stupid: there's no way this information wasn't going to come out.

There's no way this revelation, coming after two years of denials, will not be seen as confirmation in the minds of many that J Street is what its detractors say – a group that is something less than pro-Israel. The critics, it turns out, were right about Soros; isn't that going to fan suspicion they were right about other things, as well?

There's no way this isn't going to make the politicians supported by J Street and those who may be considering accepting its endorsement incredibly nervous. Instead of providing protection for the politicians they supported, J Street essentially hung them out to dry - not by accepting Soros money, but by lying about their connection to the controversial philanthropist.

And there's no way this doesn't sow mistrust among commentators and reporters who write and speak about J Street, and who were repeatedly misled by its officials. J Street sought to create a climate of trust with a press corps that was being spun heavily by its opponents; this news undoes a lot of that effort.

You lie, you pay the consequences. That's a morality lesson we all try to instill in our children from the youngest age possible. How many times do you punish a kid for lying to you about what they did and not for the actual offense?

J Street should pay a price for this. Will they be around by the 2012 election cycle? I'd be happy if they weren't. 'Pro-Israel pro-peace' my you-know-what.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:22 PM