Bibi and AIPAC are Fracturing Americans’ Support for Israel
The Bill Press Pod
BP Pods
4.7 • 601 Ratings
🗓️ 17 March 2026
⏱️ 36 minutes
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Summary
Bill discusses the third week of a U.S. and Israel-led war against Iran and Americans’ cratering support for Israel, with J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami and senior VP Ilan Goldenberg. Ben-Ami calls it Netanyahu’s long-sought war, notes the JCPOA(“The Iran Nuclear Deal” under Obama) had effectively constrained Iran’s program, and says the current effort lacks clear goals. They highlight polling showing a sharp decline in U.S. support for Israel—especially among 18–34-year-olds—and criticize AIPAC’s tactics and funding, urging Democrats to end “blank check” support, emphasize Palestinian rights, and pursue a balanced, pro-diplomacy approach.
They also explored why the war began, where it may lead, and its political fallout. Goldenberg argues there was no imminent threat, diplomacy and other alternatives existed, and the U.S. lacked technical negotiators, leaving outcomes likely to resemble a long containment quagmire with higher oil prices and persistent regional instability.
Today Bill highlights the work of J Street and suggests you check out their work at JStreet.org.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, good friends. |
| 0:07.9 | Welcome back to the Bill Press Pied. |
| 0:10.3 | Here we are in the middle of a war against Iran, a war that Donald Trump actually declared was over on day one, |
| 0:17.5 | and yet has now dragged into week number three. |
| 0:24.2 | It's America's war, of course, but it's also Israel's war, because it was Prime Minister Divinette Yahoo, who convinced Trump to start the war |
| 0:30.9 | and both countries are bombing Iran. And the war is already having a major economic and political |
| 0:37.1 | impact on both countries, most notably and most troubling of the war is already having a major economic and political impact on both countries. Most |
| 0:39.6 | notably and most troubling, according to latest polls, Netanyahu's role in this war, as well as |
| 0:46.1 | actions he's recently taken in Israel, have led to a dramatic loss of support for Israel among |
| 0:52.9 | Americans, especially young Americans. So we set out today |
| 0:58.5 | in this podcast on a dual mission to assess the current state of the war in Iran and where it might |
| 1:04.8 | be heading and also to consider the impact that the war is having on U.S. and Israeli politics. |
| 1:12.9 | In doing so, we're lucky to be joined today by two leaders of the great organization, |
| 1:17.2 | J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization, J. Street. |
| 1:22.5 | And we're joined by founder and president Jeremy Ben Ami and senior vice president, Elon Goldenberg. |
| 1:29.4 | Jeremy Ben Ami, Elon Goldenberg, thank you so much for joining us. Welcome to the Bill |
| 1:34.0 | Press Pod. Thanks for having us. Yeah, wonderful. Thank you. It's good to have you with us. |
| 1:39.7 | And look, first of all, you guys have your own podcast. I should just let the two of you just start talking and stay out of it. But I've got, I've been to do something here to earn my keep. So I'll ask a few questions, but so excited to have you with us today. Jeremy, I want to start with the assumption that not all of our listeners are as familiar with Jay Street as I am. So give us a little, just a little sketch, short sketch, |
| 2:03.1 | of why you started J Street. |
| 2:05.5 | What is all about? |
| 2:06.5 | What is your mission? |
| 2:08.0 | Thanks so much for that opportunity. |
... |
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