J Street picks former senior Harris adviser to lead new policy shop
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Ilan Goldenberg at DNC event. Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Zioness Action Fund
Ilan Goldenberg, a former senior adviser Vice President Harris who served as director for Jewish outreach during her 2024 presidential campaign, is joining liberal pro-Israel Jewish organization J Street, according to a statement shared with Axios.
Why it matters: Goldenberg's appointment as senior vice president and chief policy officer, along with the hires of several other former Obama and Biden staffers, is aimed at boosting J Street's policy expertise and making it the leading organization shaping Democratic Party policy on the Middle East, especially on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a J Street official.
- The organization is also trying to increase its ability to shape the views of the U.S. Jewish community on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the broader Middle East .
Driving the news: Goldenberg, a respected foreign policy expert, served as Harris' Middle East adviser at the time of the Oct. 7 attacks and in the months after.
- He also held senior national security roles at the State Department and the Pentagon during the Biden administration and was part of former Secretary of State John Kerry's negotiating team on Israeli-Palestinan peace talks in Barack Obama's second term.
- Goldenberg also served in a senior Iran-related role at the Pentagon under Obama.
- Goldenberg will head a new group of policy fellows and contributors that includes former special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations Frank Lowenstein, former principal deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs Jen Gavito, former USAID West Bank mission director Larry Garber, and former chief of staff to Israel's minister for regional cooperation Yael Patir, JStreet said.
What they are saying: "The addition of these seasoned policy experts reflects J Street's commitment to driving serious, pragmatic solutions to the most pressing challenges in U.S. foreign policy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement.
- Goldenberg told Axios J Street is positioned where the majority of American Jews and progressives stand, "rejecting the extremes of both the far-right and far-left."
- "This organization has long been at the forefront of advocating for policies that support Israel's security while upholding democratic values and advocating for a future for both Israelis and Palestinians. I'm excited to help drive that mission forward," he said.
