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Israeli Elections AJC expressed confidence in the leadership of newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. AJC Executive Director David Harris and President E. Robert Goodkind, in a congratulatory letter to Olmert, wrote, "These elections stand as yet another tribute to Israel's vibrant democracy and commitment to free and fair elections." The letter acknowledged Israel's present challenges, foremost among them, the Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority and Iran's nuclear threat, and pledged AJC support of the government and people of Israel.
 Centennial Board Institute AJC kicked off its centennial year celebrations with a gala dinner in Jerusalem, where Foreign Minster Tzipi Livni was the keynote speaker.
Highlights in Europe included: Berlin: A gala dinner with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Steinmeier commended AJC for its commitment to promoting transatlantic dialogue, the German-Israel relationship, Jewish life in Germany, and its work in fighting anti-Semitism. In other Berlin activities, members were treated to an insightful presentation and panel discussion on the European effort to fight terror and confront Islamic extremism. After opening remarks by Ernst Uhrlau, president of the German Federal Intelligence Service, three parliamentarians, representing the Greens, the SPD and the CDU, joined the discussion. Brussels: Board delegations held discussions with NATO authorities, including Secretary General Jaap De Hoope Scheffer and the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland. Members also were briefed on European Union issues and concerns by top level EU officials. Geneva: Trip participants met with Dr. Jacob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee for the Red Cross, to discuss the emblem issue. They also held meetings with key UN officials, including Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights. Paris: AJC met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phillippe Douste-Blazy and a delegation was also hosted by the former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Board members spent time with members of the French Jewish community, and they also heard a panel of experts discuss the image of Israel in France. Rome: In addition to the private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, the AJC delegation met the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors to Italy and with Ambassador Francis Rooney, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. A festive Shabbat dinner was held with Vatican and Catholic leaders. Warsaw: The Board of Governors met with top Polish officials, including President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. AJC also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the AJC-Polish Exchange Program at a gala lunch in the company of Foreign Minister Stefan Meller. On a more somber note, members marked the 60th anniversary of the first deportation of Belzec, a Nazi death camp.
Papal Audience  Pope Benedict XVI gave a private audience to an AJC Board delegation led by President E. Robert Goodkind at the Vatican, becoming the first American Jewish organization to have this opportunity. "I trust this meeting will further encourage your efforts to increase friendship between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church," the Pope told the AJC delegation. In his remarks, Goodkind saluted the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect of Catholic-Jewish relations today, recalling the historic Nostra Aetate document, adopted in 1965, which called for dialogue among Jews and Christians. Click for news release.
President Katsav Salutes AJC  Israel President Moshe Katsav hosted 200 AJC Board members at his residence in Jerusalem for a discussion on the World Jewish Forum and pressing issues confronting Israel and world Jewry. "I praise the AJC for 100 years of constant struggle, devotion, dedication and determination to defend the Jews in the world," said Katsav, addressing the gathering.
Chief Justice Receives High AJC Honor AJC presented its American Liberties Medallion, AJC's highest award, to Chief Justice Aharon Barak of Israel's Supreme Court. Barak is known for staunchly upholding the democratic ideals of the state of Israel. Most recently, Barak ruled that the route of Israeli's security fence did balance the security concerns of the Israeli population with the quality of life and well-being of the Palestinians.
Israel Defense Minister Addresses AJC  The greatest present-day challenge to Israel is Iran's threat to destroy it. That's the message that 200 AJC leaders, traveling in Israel, heard from Israel Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. Mofaz stressed that not only Israel would be threatened, but much of the world. "Iran will continue to support terrorism activities and be a leader of the Axis of Evil, all under a nuclear umbrella," he said, addressing the AJC Board of Governors luncheon in Tel Aviv. Mofaz also discussed the Hamas electoral victory, the threats posed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon, and potential Al-Qaeda dangers to Israel. Read news release.
AJC Board Visits Gaza Border The Board's three-day visit to Israel included a visit to Erez, one of the crossings between Gaza and Israel. The opportunity to see the facility first-hand and to discuss it with an Israeli military officer provided clarity and perspective to the challenges Israel faces. The Board also learned about Israel's ongoing efforts to ease the passage of Palestinians through the crossing without compromising security concerns.
Treasury Department Action on Hezbollah TV AJC praised the U.S. Treasury Department's decision to designate al-Manar, Hezbollah's television station, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). For more than a year, AJC has worked with senior Treasury officials, as well as with a coalition of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups, to achieve the goal. As a result, Americans are prohibited from doing business with banks or financial services working with Hezbollah media. Al-Manar is based in Lebanon and broadcasts worldwide via satellite. Click for news release.
AJC Report: Iranian Presence in Latin America AJC's Latin American and Latino Institute has warned of expanding relations between Iran and a number of Latin American nations. "Latin American countries are playing with fire," said Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC's Latin America and Latino Institute, and author of a new briefing paper, Iran's Presence in Latin America: Trade, Energy and Terror. "Not only do some Latin American nations weaken international resolve to curb Iran's nuclear program, but they also are allowing Tehran a foothold for terrorism in the Western Hemisphere." Click for news releaseand access to publication.
AJC Katrina Fund's Final Donations Eight synagogues and four churches in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi received a total of $432,000 from the American Jewish Committee's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. It is the final disbursement from the AJC fund, which had raised more than one million dollars. Click for news release.
Xavier University Thank You In a letter to AJC, the president of Xavier, based in New Orleans, wrote in appreciation of the $100,000 donation from AJC's Katrina Relief Fund. "We deeply appreciate this support as we undertake the difficult task of rebuilding our campus. The generosity of donors to the Xavier Hurricane Relief Fund will be acknowledged on a special plaque to be dedicated in our University Center."
Chile Bus Tragedy AJC expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic bus accident in Chile. Twelve American tourists on a trip from a B'nai Brith chapter in New Jersey were killed when the bus they were riding in swerved off a highway and plummeted down a mountainside. The victims were on a cruise in South America and had been returning from a day tour when the accident occurred.
Advocacy Workshop for Mexican-American Leaders AJC co-sponsored an intensive workshop to help train Mexican-American leaders in the fields of advocacy, fundraising, and media outreach. The seminar took place in Washington, D.C., with 30 Latino community leaders. AJC's Latino and Latin American Institute worked on the program with the Consulate of Mexico and the Institute of Mexicans Living Abroad. The effort was part of AJC's goal of building coalitions between the Latino and Jewish communities in the U.S.
AJC Position in Missouri Abortion Issue AJC has joined other civil liberties groups in urging the Missouri Supreme Court to find a Teen Assistance Ban unconstitutional. In the case, Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, Inc. v. Nixon, clergy would be prohibited from counseling minors who are considering abortions. AJC believes this would be unconstitutional by denying the right to free speech in addition to the freedom of religion. "It is critical that women, particularly minors, be able to consult with both their doctors and clergy in making such decisions," stated AJC in an amicus brief.
AJC Radio Message: America's Achilles' Heel In this week's national radio message, AJC Executive Director David Harris called on America to wean itself from its dangerous dependence on oil from unstable and unfriendly countries. "It's bad for our national security, economy, and environment. But we can do something about it," said Harris. Listen to message.
AJC Hosts Canadian Students A group of over 30 students and faculty members visited AJC headquarters in New York to hear a survivor's story of the Holocaust. Bill Donat, a board member of Thanks to Scandinavia, an AJC institute, addressed the students visiting from Vanier College in Canada. The students were part of a class which deals with issues of tolerance.
New Action - AJC Advocacy Center Visit www.ajc.org/advocacy and let your government officials know where you stand. A new action item focuses on ending U.S. aid to Hamas. Other items deal with immigration policy and stopping genocide in Sudan. The Advocacy Center provides background materials on each issue and makes it easy to send letters to government officials.
New York Times Thanks AJC In a quarter-page ad in the New York Times, the paper's Knowledge Network program thanked AJC for our America's Table program, which provided more than 50,000 copies of the Thanksgiving initiative to school children. This was the second year AJC sponsored the program. It proved so successful in November that the Times Knowledge Network extended it and reissued copies of the booklet in early 2006. America's Table is an AJC project celebrating diversity.
Obituary: James Freedman AJC is profoundly saddened by the death of James Freedman, former President of Dartmouth College and former chairman of AJC's Domestic Policy Commission. He was the co-author of a major national statement, published by AJC, decrying intimidation against pro-Israel students on college campuses. AJC proudly honored him in 2003 with the National Distinguished Leadership Award. Educator, scholar, and author, Freedman's impassioned voice against all forms of bigotry helped to shape a more tolerant society for us all. We send our heartfelt condolences to his grieving family. In the Media
The AJC Board visit to Israel was extensively covered in the Israeli media, including Maariv, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Israel Radio, and Israel Television. The Jerusalem Post quoted AJC President E. Robert Goodkind in a story about the World Jewish Forum. David Harris was quoted in articles in the Jerusalem Post and Haaretz and was interviewed on Israel Radio and appeared on an English-language program on Israel TV. Eran Lerman was quoted in Maariv. Shula Bahat appeared live on a popular late night news show on Israel TV. In Germany the AJC Board visit received coverage in major newspapers, including Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Morgenpost, Berliner Zeitung, Taz-Die Tageszeitung, Die Welt, Judische Allgemeine and Judische Zeitung. In addition to interviews with these papers, Deidre Berger was interviewed on Bloomberg TV and ARD Radio. The Associated Press, Reuters, Catholic News Service and the Jerusalem Post quoted Rabbi David Rosen in articles about the papal audience. The Polish Press Agency quoted AJC Executive Director David Harris in a story on the AJC meeting with Polish President Lech Kaczynski. The International Herald-Tribune published a letter to the editor by David Harris reacting to the paper's flawed coverage of the Jericho prison raid. The New York Times, Westchester Edition, published an op-ed written by Kenneth Bandler, AJC Director of Communication, on electric cars and energy. A letter to the editor in the New York Times on New Orleans cited the AJC relief mission over President's weekend. The writer, who participated in the mission, now works in AJC's Transatlantic Institute in Brussels as a Farkas Fellow. Bloomberg quoted Barry Jacobs, AJC Director of Strategic Studies, on Turkey's decision to host Hamas. The New York Jewish Week wrote a column about Rabbi James Rudin, AJC senior interreligious affairs director, and his new book, The Baptizing of America. The New York Jewish Week quoted Richard Foltin, AJC Legislative Director and Counsel, on lobby reform. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency cited Felice Gaer, Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Advancement of Human Rights, on UN refugee camps. Agence France Presse and the Associated Press, in reports on Condoleezza Rice's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, said the talks are in part preparation for Merkel's May visit to Washington, which will include an address at AJC's centennial dinner celebration. CNN Radio, KQV-AM radio in Pittsburgh and Dateline America interviewed Executive Director David Harris on the Israel elections. | |
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