IMPACT: Hope for Peace?

TOP U.S., ISRAEL NEGOTIATORS DELIVER IMPASSIONED CALLS FOR PEACE

AJC’s Global Forum in Washington, D.C. featured U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni who gave ground-breaking and hopeful addresses on Middle East peace. Secretary Kerry said that ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for Israel’s long-term peace and security.WATCH>>. Minister Livni – Israel’s chief negotiator with the Palestinians – spoke of the urgent need for a two-state solution, “not a favor to the Palestinians, but rather as a necessity for Israel.” WATCH>> At an AJC breakfast, Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) affirmed that even in a time of fierce partisanship, bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship remains strong.

WORLD LEADERS COME TO AJC GLOBAL FORUM

The AJC Global Forum brought together a dazzling array of global leaders before some 1,500 participants representing over 60 nations. The Statesmen’s Forum featured the Foreign Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan. All expressed solidarity with the people of Israel and hope for more harmonious relations among religious and ethnic groups. VIEW>>At the World Leaders Plenary, the Foreign Minister of Greece highlighted his government’s concern about the rise of anti-Semitism and expressed strong support for Greece’s Jewish community. VIEW>>

AJC ADDRESSES THE RISE OF POLITICAL ISLAM AND MUSLIM-JEWISH RELATIONS

At the ACCESS Summit over 400 young activists engaged with young Muslim thought and opinion leaders on Muslim-Jewish relations and advancing peace. Dalia Ziada, a prominent Egyptian human rights activist named by Newsweek as one of world’s most influential and fearless women and by CNN as one of the Arab world’s eight agents of change, spoke both at the ACCESS Summit and at a Global Forum plenary session: Arab Spring or Arab Winter. She was joined by Jeffrey Goldberg, National Correspondent,The Atlantic, and Eran Lerman, Deputy for Foreign Policy and International Affairs at Israel’s National Security Council. Ziada said, “We are working on a new revolution to delegitimize [Egyptian President] Morsi.” She added, “There will be no Arab Spring without women.” WATCH>>

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM AJC

FEATURED MEDIA

Secretary of State John Kerry tells AJC’s Global Forum his goal is “a negotiated resolution that results in two states for two peoples, each able to fulfill their legitimate national aspirations in a homeland of their own.” AJC Executive Director David Harris responded, “We can only hope that Secretary Kerry’s urgent call for courageous leadership is heeded.” WATCH>>.

UPCOMING EVENTS

68th Annual Meeting & Diplomatic Panel
Wed., June 26 – San Francisco, CA
– RSVP >>

“Lunch & Learn” Featuring: AJC’s Rabbi Andrew Baker on Confronting Anti-Semitism in Europe
Wed., June 26 – Sarasota, FL – RSVP >>

AJC’s Steven Bayme on American Jewry Post WWII: Is the Golden Age Past?
Wed., July 31 – Sarasota, FL – RSVP

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AJC ADVANCES LATINO – JEWISH COALITION AT GLOBAL FORUM

A central focus of the ACCESS Summit was on exploring opportunities to strengthen the Latino-Jewish coalition, and the critical U.S.-Latin America-Israel alliance. These issues were also featured in a Global Forum plenary session moderated by PBS NewsHour’s Senior Correspondent, Ray Suarez. Panelists Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Xavier Becerra (D-CA) discussed immigration, integration and identity. WATCH >>

AJC FEATURES DEBATE ON RELIGION-STATE RELATIONS IN ISRAEL

The role of the Chief Rabbinate, women’s religious rights, and recognition of marriage in Israel were addressed at the Global Forum Great Debate between Reform Rabbi Uri Regev, President & CEO, Hiddush and Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi, Efrat, Israel. What they agreed on might surprise you. WATCH >>

AJC INITIATES OSCE CONFERENCE ON SECURITY OF JEWS IN EUROPE

On June 13, an OSCE conference convened in Berlin to deal with threats to Jewish security in Europe. Over 100 Jewish leaders and government representatives, including German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, participated. AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs Rabbi Andrew Baker, as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, initiated the event. The next day, AJC’s Berlin Office and its Director Deidre Berger hosted Jewish leaders from 20 countries to set common goals for security enhancements. AJC Berlin will seek to play a lead role in advancing these recommendations. READ MORE >>