Israeli Embassy Picks Unusually Public Fight With J Street

What began with J Street reaching out to Ambassador Michael Oren with a speaking invitation for its upcoming conference turned into a spat Sunday when the Israeli Embassy spokesman went after the young "pro-Israeli pro-peace" group using unusually blunt language.

Since then, the head of J Street penned an open letter to Oren, Israel's ambassador to the US, requesting he address J Street's conference later this month, and the Israeli Embassy has said that Oren is still considering the request.

Embassy spokesman Yoni Peled told the Jerusalem Post Sunday that it had communicated its policy preferences to J Street. But "while recognizing the need for a free and open debate on these issues, it is important to stress concern over certain policies that could impair Israel's interests."

J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami responded in the Jerusalem Post yesterday with an open letter -- a personal appeal -- to Oren. Ben-Ami wrote:

You seem well aware, both as an American by birth and as a student of American Jewish communal dynamics, that the connection to Israel for a large number of Jewish Americans has become strained over time. ...

MR. AMBASSADOR, what J Street shares in common with you far outweighs that on which we disagree. J Street, on behalf of the many Jewish Americans who share our views, urges you to join us as we discuss, debate and - in the best tradition of the Jewish people - argue over how best to ensure the health, safety and vibrancy of the Jewish people and of Israel for generations to come.

Your attendance - even to clarify some of our areas of disagreement - will be respectfully welcomed, and we promise you an open hearing as we hope and expect you will welcome us at the embassy one day to present our views and opinions in that same spirit.

Might Oren be reconsidering his position? Today, the embassy spokesman left the door open to Oren attending the conference in an interview with The Forward. While pointedly noting Oren's decision not to meet personally with anyone from J Street, the spokesman says the embassy's public affairs department is currently in talks with the group.

Just last week, Oren penned a Nazi-invoking piece in The New Republic denouncing the UN report on the Gaza conflict.

J Street says it expects 1,000 people to attend the conference, its first, and 160 members of Congress have signed on to the honorary host committee for a gala dinner. Former Senator Chuck Hagel will keynote the dinner.