Rep. McCollum Blasts Israeli Ambassador For Dissing J Street

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) is no shrinking violet on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.  In 2006, she was attacked by an AIPAC representative as a "terrorist supporter"  for supporting aid to the Palestinians. 

Clearly the lobby powerhouse expected her to be chastened and mend her errant ways.  They did not expect her to both publicize the smear, write a letter to AIPAC's executive director reading him the riot act, and then to tell AIPAC not to darken her doorstep again.  

Of course, the usual suspects threatened to defeat her for her temerity (much as they are now doing with Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) for not supporting the Gaza war) but she easily won re-election with the support of her local Jewish community.  Today she works with her colleague and neighbor Keith Ellison (D-MN) who shares her view that the pro-Israel community is no right-wing monolith run out of lobbyists' offices.  Like her, he does what is right for the United States, Israel and the Palestinians -- not what lobbyists tell him to do.

Now, Rep. McCollum has told the Israeli ambassador to the United States in no uncertain terms that he was out-of-line when he boycotted the J Street conference because J Street does not slavishly adhere to the Israeli government's line. As McCollum wrote, "friends can disagree."

Here is Eric Fingerhut's report from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on McCollum's stand. 

Here is the full text of the letter.