Key Democratic leaders, five presidential hopefuls to address J Street conference

WASHINGTON – J Street, the progressive Jewish group, opened its seventh conference Saturday at the US capital, where key Democratic leaders will address the US-Israel relationship. Some 3,800 people are expected to participate in the fourday long event, including 1,200 students, making a record attendance for the conference, according to the group.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority

Leader Chuck Schumer will address the US-Israel relationship and the Trump administration’s policy in the Middle East.

Five Democratic presidential hopefuls are also scheduled to speak. “Pod Save the World” hosts Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor will interview the candidates about the US-Israel relationship, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the future of American foreign policy.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar will be the first to speak at the conference on Sunday night, followed by South Bend

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Housing and Development secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Michael Bennet and Sen. Bernie Sanders, all of whom will speak on Monday. No current lawmakers from the Republican Party were scheduled to speak at the conference.

A few leaders of the Israeli Left will attend the event as well. Former prime minister Ehud Barak and MK Nitzan Horowitz, head of the Democratic Union, will each give a speech on Monday. MK Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List, will speak on Monday as well. Saeb Erekat,

Palestinian chief negotiator, will address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

And while few Knesset members are said to attend, no Israeli officials will represent the government at the event. Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer is not planning to attend the event, even though, according to a J Street spokesman, he was formally invited to speak.

Since he was posted in Washington six years ago, Dermer has refused to meet with J Street representatives. The embassy in Washington declined to comment.