J Street's Big Tent Comes Crashing Down

Hillel Stavis of JStreetJive gives his impression of Silverstein's "blogger panel."

J Street's Big Tent Comes Crashing Down

"We know that there are people here who disagree with what we believe, but we welcome them to our conference."  -- Jeremy Ben Ami in his opening remarks to the "Driving Change" Conference

Mr. T (for "Tolerance"),  blogger 
and J Street guest,Richard Silverstein

This is not the first blog to accuse J Street of duplicity in ballyhooing its"Pro Israel" brand.  But today at its gala conference in Washington, I saw the real face of diversity J Street style.  I registered with my real name and paid the admission price and actually believed what Jeremy Ben Ami declared in his welcoming speech.

At 12:45 on Monday, the "Bloggers'" panel convened at the Grand Hyatt to a packed- to- overflowing room to hear the stars of the ultra-left blogosphere - including the inimitable Richard Silverstein of Tikkun Olam.  Just as his fellow bloggers were finishing up their  vilification of Jeffrey Goldberg, whose less-than-hard-hitting interview of Jeremy Ben Ami apparently enraged the leftosphere,  Silverstein leapt up from his seat, pushed his way frantically past the audience and said to a J Streeter, "Get security.  We're going to kick this guy out."  I, like many others in the crowd, were filming the event.  No notification was given to participants that filming or recording was not allowed.  Later, I was told by a security guard that anyone could film any event and that he had received no instructions to bar recording devices.  Much of the conference was live-streamed, as a matter of fact.

The next thing I knew was that two J Street officials were dragging me out of the room demanding that I stop filming.  I complied with their request and asked them why they were singling me out.  Amy Spitalnick, J Street's chief spokesperson then told me that only authorized persons could film a discussion.  I expressed surprise and suggested that they were singling me out at the behest of one of their bloggers (Richard verified later that he was on a panel for J Street).  I asked for an apology from Amy, but she refused, saying that no one except for authorized persons could photograph the discussions (I witnessed many audience members photographing sessions - no one was dragged from the room and chastised).

As the late, lamented TV pitchman, Billy Mays was wont to say, "But wait, we're not through yet!"  Later in the day I happened to be seated near Mr. Silverstein at a panel on Iran.  When the session broke I went up to him and said, "Richard, let me buy you a cup of coffee and we'll sit down and discuss this like adults" whereupon he literally ran over to a security guard who then proceeded to demand identification from me.  It seems that Richard told the guard that I was at the conference under an alias and that I did not pay to attend.  I produced the necessary identification which satisfied the put upon man.  At that point I had had just about enough from the hysterical Mr. Silverstein.  As I mentioned, the guard told Mr. Silverstein that anyone could film the conference as he had received no instructions to the contrary.

The harassment didn't end there.  I was brought to the J Street desk by the guard with Richard leading us demanding that I be ejected because, "I didn't belong here." He continued harassing me by telling the guard that I had registered under a false name, a charge that was quickly proved false.
I recounted the events to Amy Spitalnick of J Street and demanded an apology for J Street's harassing and embarrassing behavior.  She refused.  I then asked if she would speak to Mr. Silverstein, who was at the conference at J Street's invitation.  She replied that she would.  Finis.

Yes, I disagree with many of J Street's  positions and statements.  I also agree with some of them, especially their condemnation of terror as the state policy of Hamas.  Jeremy Ben Ami set a welcoming tone for people who disagree with J Street's agenda at the outset.  That that tone was betrayed by the uncivil and harassing conduct of his chief spokesperson reveals the darker side of J Street's view of freedom of speech.