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Secretary of State Rice Meets AJC Leaders Richard Sideman, chair of AJC's Board of Governors, and AJC Executive Director David Harris, were among eight people invited by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for an hour-long discussion at the State Department today. The conversation focused on the challenges posed by Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons and the recent electoral success of Hamas. Secretary Rice reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to work with other nations to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold and indicated that no option is off the table, though she expressed a preference for pursuing the diplomatic track. On Hamas she stated forcefully that the U.S. will have no contact with an organization that she described as a terrorist group. Unless Hamas recognizes Israel’s right to exist, forswears terrorism and accepts the validity of past Israeli-Palestinian agreements, there will be no contact, no funding and no cooperation, she said. During the meeting she also discussed the U.S. desire to get rid of the anti-Israel structure at the UN that has emerged over the years. The AJC delegation presented her with a copy of our new publication, A Diminished World Body: An Overview of the UN and Israel.
 AJC Katrina Relief Fund Helps Xavier University Xavier University in New Orleans is receiving from AJC's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund a $100,000 donation to help its rebuilding. "The fact that the American Jewish Committee would support a black Catholic college is a symbol of how people of different faith and race can come together in the wake of a disaster like Katrina," said Carla Harris, who announced the gift during a benefit concert for Xavier at Lincoln Center in New York. Harris was chair of the concert, sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York's Office of Black Ministry. A check will be presented to Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier, this weekend when AJC's New Orleans Relief, an initiative to support the hurricane-ravaged community, brings a group of thirty young Jews from across the country to New Orleans to meet with residents and government officials, and help in clean-up projects.
AJC Radio Message: A Helping Hand in New Orleans An AJC initiative bringing young people to New Orleans over Presidents' weekend is the centerpiece of this week's national radio message on the CBS radio network. "In our world, what unites us is far more important than what divides us. That's why we're offering a helping hand in New Orleans," says David Harris. "While some would seek to destroy, we seek to build. To us, that's humanity's highest calling." Click to listen.
Hamas Watch - New AJC Report "While many in the West hope that Hamas will change to become somehow more moderate, statements by Hamas leaders since the Palestinian elections have reaffirmed the organization's ideological commitment and desire to continue its jihad against Israel," writes Yehudit Barsky, AJC's terrorism expert, in her analysis of the terrorist organization. Click for new publication and for more on Hamas.
Protesting Russia's Hamas Invite In a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, AJC expressed deep concern over his decision to invite a Hamas delegation to visit Moscow. "It remains our firm belief that Hamas should be denied the legitimacy it would gain by such a visit unless it first adheres unambiguously to the principles set forth by the Quartet," wrote AJC. The Quartet principles are a commitment to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.Read the full letter.
We Stand with Denmark AJC is supporting Denmark as it faces increasing violence in many parts of the Muslim world, after a Danish newspaper published cartoons deemed offensive by many Muslims. In a letter to Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, AJC condemned "in the strongest terms such attempts to silence free speech and to intimidate Denmark's leadership." The letter continued to say the Jewish people hold a "special place in their hearts for Denmark, which treated its Jewish population with such decency throughout its history, including during World War II." Read letter.
Darfur Advocacy Day Dozens of activists, Jewish and non-Jewish, have convened in Washington, D.C., today and tomorrow to advocate for greater international action in the face of continuing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The activists participating in the AJC campaign are engaging members of Congress and Administration officials in an effort to pressure them into greater action in protecting Darfur. "We want to show members of Congress, the State Department and the White House that there is a collaborative political will in the country for stronger U.S. action," said David Bernstein, associate director o AJC's Community Services Department, and coordinator of Darfur Advocacy Day.
Bulgarian Interior Minister Visits AJC Headquarters AJC hosted a meeting with Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov. Discussion focused on challenges and changes in Bulgaria, particularly Petkov's initiatives to combat organized crime. AJC leaders expressed hope for future Bulgarian cooperative endeavors with Israel and the U.S. AJC has a longstanding, close relationship with Bulgaria. Victoria Schonfeld, Honorary Bulgarian Consul General in New York and a member of AJC's Board of Governors, also attended the meeting along with Ambassador Elena Poptodorova, the Bulgarian Ambassador to the U.S.
Polish President Meets AJC Leaders President Lech Kaczynksi of Poland, on his first official visit to Washington since his election, met with a senior AJC leadership delegation at Blair House. Kacynski praised AJC's longstanding involvement in Polish-Jewish relations. He stressed that Israel can count on Poland as "loyal partner," and pledged to assure the security of Poland's Jewish community. An AJC Board of Governors delegation will meet with President Kaczynski next month in Warsaw.
New U.S. Air Force Religious Guidelines AJC commended the U.S. Air Force for issuing interim guidelines governing the free exercise of religion by its personnel and chaplains. These guidelines "go far in addressing the unfortunate situation which prevailed at the Air Force Academy in which officers in command authority abused their positions to advance their own religious agendas," said AJC in a statement jointly issued with the American Jewish Congress and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Read the full statement.
Reward Offered in Alabama Church Attacks AJC is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the recent arson attacks targeting Baptist churches in Alabama. Ten churches have been damaged or destroyed. We hope that our offer of a reward will encourage others to step forward as well. An attack on any house of worship is an affront to all Americans, regardless of their religious affiliation. Click for news release.
Energy Independence AJC has joined the Set America Free Coalition, a group of non-profit organizations and individuals concerned about the security and economic implications of America's growing dependence on foreign oil. AJC has been sounding the alarm about the dangers posed by America's dependence on oil imports from unstable or unfriendly countries since 1973. AJC is convinced that this oil dependence will lead to greater threats to U.S. security, hurt the economy, risk political intimidation by the oil importing countries and damage the environment. Click for news release.
Letter to National Security Advisor on UN Reform In a letter to U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley, AJC expressed appreciation for the Administration's efforts regarding UN reform. AJC praised in particular the efforts regarding the three Palestinian entities within the UN system - the Division for Palestinian Rights, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and the Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices. They are "the most blatant manifestation of the institutional bias against Israel at the UN," wrote AJC. "Like you, we firmly believe that unless the inequities regarding the treatment of Israel are corrected, the lofty principles enshrined in the UN Charter will remain unfulfilled."
Greece's New Foreign Minister AJC congratulated Dora Bakoyanni on her appointment as Greece's Foreign Minister. Until now she has served as mayor of Athens, and an AJC delegation met with her in Athens in October 2004. "We appreciate that, during your father's prime ministership, it was New Democracy that instituted full diplomatic relations with Israel," wrote AJC in its letter of congratulations. "It is a special pleasure to know that, even as we congratulate you, Moshe Katzav is making the first official visit by an Israeli President to Greece and is receiving a traditionally warm Greek welcome."
AJC Publications Most publications are available online at www.ajc.org in the Publications section. Hard copies can be ordered from Dan Larson at larsond@ajc.org.
In the Media
The Chicago Sun-Times published an op-ed article by Eran Lerman, director of AJC's Jerusalem office, analyzing the current political situation in the run-up to the Israeli elections on March 28. The Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale) quoted Rabbi James Rudin, AJC's senior interreligious affairs adviser about his new book, The Baptizing of America. Christianity Today quoted Felice Gaer, director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, in an article on religious activity in Belarus. | |
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