Dear Ambassador Oren,
I am writing to reiterate an invitation to you to address the first National Conference of the new pro-Israel lobby, J Street taking place later this month.
In just two weeks, over 1,000 people - most of them American Jews - will gather in Washington to give voice to a burgeoning movement that loves Israel, cares about its future, and believes only peaceful and immediate resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can secure Israel's future as the democratic home of the Jewish people.
Attendees at the conference will represent over 20 organizations. Many share a common bond in liberal and progressive political activism in other aspects of our lives. They range in age from 250 college students to others whose support for Israel predates the creation of the state.
We will come together as pro-Israel activists to discuss the best path forward for Israel and the United States in troubling circumstances, balancing a desire for security and for peace and a commitment to the values we bring to the table as Jews and as Americans.
You've spoken publicly of the need for Israeli officials to engage with progressive elements in the American Jewish community that have not traditionally been attracted to pro-Israel lobbying.
You seem well aware, both as an American by birth and as a student of American Jewish communal dynamics, that the connection to Israel for a large number of Jewish Americans has become strained over time.
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