Some Changes I’m Making

I wanted to let you know that starting this week my work will be originating on J Street’s organizational Substack, Word on the Street. I encourage you to subscribe.

Subscribe to Word on the Street

If you already subscribe to Dialogue and Dissonance, you’ll still get my columns and Word on the Street Live shows with Jeremy Ben-Ami. But on Word on the Street, you’ll find much more: regular columns from Jeremy, policy briefings from our fellows Frank Lowenstein, Jen Gavito, Yael Patir, and Larry Garber, and insights from Nadav Tamir, our Israel team director.

You may already know Word on the Street Live, where Jeremy and I discuss current issues and interview key figures. Subscribers will now also have access to J Street’s expert webinars and guest speaker sessions on today’s toughest challenges.

The Values Remain the Same

When I launched Dialogue and Dissonance, it was to give voice to liberal Zionism — a perspective I saw missing during the 2024 presidential campaign. Most voters I spoke with rejected both extremes: blind support for Netanyahu or absolute rejection of Israel.

They — like me — believe Israel must remain a secure, democratic Jewish state, and that Palestinians deserve freedom, security, and prosperity in a state of their own. They condemn Hamas’s October 7th atrocities while also being horrified by the scale of suffering and starvation in Gaza, and believe Israeli government policy must change.

That balanced, values-driven perspective is the heart of my writing and my work at J Street: building a new consensus in the Democratic Party and Jewish community that reflects what so many American Jews believe.

As you’ll see in the “About” section of Word on the Street that I’ve pasted in below, its mission aligns closely with mine.

Subscribe to Word on the Street

You are not alone.

If you support freedom, dignity, and safety for Israelis and Palestinians, you are not alone.

If you think there can be no tolerance for antisemitism, but that the fight against antisemitism shouldn’t be co-opted to crack down on civil rights and an extremist agenda, you are not alone.

If you believe nuance isn’t naive, and that real-world solutions matter more than pithy slogans, you are not alone.

We know it can feel that way though, and that’s why we started Word on the Street.

Published by J Street, we provide expert analysis, opinion, and conversation on Jewish and Middle East issues – including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, American foreign policy, the struggle for democracy, and the battle against antisemitism.

Looking Ahead

In the months ahead, on Word on the Street, you’ll see more regular updates on the issues that matter most — from the U.S. election, to the war in Gaza, to the growing international push to recognize Palestinian statehood. We’ll share inside looks at J Street’s work in Washington and in the field, and we’ll continue making the case for diplomacy, democracy, and justice.

Some posts will still carry my voice in personal and reflective essays. You’ll also hear from my colleagues, whose insights and experience deepen and sharpen my own.

I’m deeply grateful to all of you who have read, shared, or debated my work. I hope you’ll also join us for this next phase on Word on the Street — and if you haven’t yet, encourage others to subscribe. This moment demands more voices, more conversation, and more courage to stand our ground and build a better path forward.