WASHINGTON — For the first time, J Street’s affiliated political action committee will raise money for a presidential candidate, arguing that any of the Democrats running is preferable to President Donald Trump.
Ben Shnider, J Street’s vice president for political affairs, said the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group’s affiliated PAC would raise $1 million for whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee. In addition, the PAC also plans to raise $5 million this election cycle for 2020 congressional candidates that J Street endorses, matching its total from the 2018 races.
“We feel an incredible sense of urgency about doing everything we can to remove Trump from office and replace him with somebody who shares our values and who is ready to lead on the international stage,” Shnider told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week in an interview that was embargoed until Monday.
Shnider specifically cited the “unsustainability of the status quo” in the Middle East. J Street sees the Trump administration as advancing policies that would kill the two-state solution, particularly in reports that the president plans to give Israel the green light to annex portions of the West Bank.