 |  Israel Emergency Assistance Fund
Tops $1.4 million 
AJC President's Letter to Kofi Annan Robert E. Goodkind, president of AJC, who met privately this week with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, today followed up with a letter urging him to publicly support Israel. "I was hoping that our concerns would be reflected in your public statements and remarks," Goodkind wrote. "To my disappointment, this has not yet happened. Instead of condemning Hezbollah and its sponsors, you have focused your criticism on Israel." Goodkind noted with concern that the credibility of the UN itself is at stake. "While we appreciate that as the Secretary General you speak for all member states, we firmly believe that the global fight against terrorism demands that you take an unequivocal stand condemning the heinous crimes committed by Hezbollah. If the UN is perceived as a partial actor censuring the attacked while rewarding the aggressor, it will undermine its ability to play a significant role in restoring international peace and security along the Israeli-Lebanese border or anywhere else in the Middle East." Read Letter.
Project Interchange Brings Strategic Analysts to Israel A group of high-level U.S. and Australian military and strategic analysts is visiting Israel on a Project Interchange educational seminar. Among the participants are Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.; Lt. Col. (ret.) Ralph Peters, of the Armed Forces Journal; Max Boot, of the Council on Foreign Relations; and Anthony Bergin, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. During their visit the group is visiting sites on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, and in the south alongside Gaza to get a first-hand assessment of the threats Israel currently faces, respectively, from Hezbollah and Hamas. Barry Jacobs, AJC’s director of strategic studies, is accompanying the group.
Urging UN Human Rights Council to Reject Resolution on Israel AJC sent letters to the ambassadors of countries currently serving on the UN Human Rights Council to protest the Special Session regarding the situation in Lebanon that is scheduled for later this week in Geneva. UN Watch, AJC’s affiliate in Geneva, is closely monitoring the situation. AJC is deeply concerned that the Council will ignore the activities of Hezbollah that sparked the conflict and continue to harm and threaten Israel, Lebanon and the region. “What is at stake today is the credibility of the newly founded Human Rights Council,” wrote Aaron Jacob, AJC’s Associate Director of International Affairs. “If the Council adopts yet another one-sided resolution condemning the attacked while rewarding the aggressor, it may irrevocably stain its reputation for years to come. We strongly urge your government to vote against such a resolution.”
AJC Urges UN to Condemn Iran's Renewed Threat to Eliminate Israel AJC called on the United Nations to condemn Iran for its renewed blatant threat to eliminate Israel, and to consider effective actions that would convince the Iranian regime to desist from making these threats. "The main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime," declared Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadjnejad while addressing last week an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Malaysia regarding Hezbollah and Lebanon. "How many times does the Iranian president have to remind the world that he seeks the wholesale destruction of Israel before the international community will react with outrage, and take action against him and his government?" asked AJC Executive Director David A. Harris.
AJC Donates Two Ambulances for Israel  AJC's Israel Emergency Assistance Fund is purchasing two Mobile Intensive Cardiac Care Ambulances for Magen David Adom, Israel's humanitarian relief agency. "Magen David Adom is on the front lines, not just during the current crisis, but everyday in providing urgent, quality health care. We are pleased to donate the two cardiac ambulances as we are certain they will be of critical use," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. Thanking AJC, Daniel R. Allen, executive vice president of American Friends of Magen David Adom, said, "Your important gift improves our ability to deliver care wherever needed. These mobile units will give so many a second — and even better — chance at life."
AJC Solidarity Vans Deliver First-Aid Kits to Israeli Bomb Shelters 
AJC purchased and delivered 500 first-aid kits to bomb shelters in communities in Israel's north. The first-aid kits were obtained with donations to AJC's Israel Emergency Assistance Fund, and delivered in coordination with Magen David Adom. On the kits are the names and logos of AJC and MDA. "Israelis in northern communities have been cut off from the world, living underground in shelters since mid-July, emerging for fresh air infrequently as they dodge endless Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks," said Rabbi Ed Rettig, of AJC's Israel Office.
AJC Fund Helps Displaced Persons in Eilat Responding to a request from Eilat’s Social Service Department, AJC’s Israel Emergency Assistance Fund is providing assistance to hundreds of Israelis who were forced by daily Hezbollah rocket attacks to relocate from the north. These Israelis are being placed with local families, in absorption centers and school buildings which have been adapted to accommodate them. The AJC funds are being used for baby supplies, hot meals, creative materials for children, and other services.
Attacks on Jewish Sites in California AJC voiced deep concern about the vandalism perpetrated at a Jewish mortuary chapel and cemetery in Sylmar, California. Law enforcement is investigating the attack as a serious hate crime. “These despicable attacks on Jewish religious property are assaults on the general community as well,” said AJC. “We trust the wider community will recognize as law enforcement does that these are hate crimes that must be fully investigated and the perpetrators apprehended.”
Cardinal Willebrands, Pioneer in Catholic-Jewish Relations, Dies AJC mourns the passing of Dutch Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, one of the leading architects of the positive revolution in Catholic-Jewish relations. He was 96 years old. “Under Cardinal Willebrands’ leadership the Catholic-Jewish relationship was institutionalized in a way we take for granted today,” said Rabbi David Rosen, AJC’s international director of interreligious relations. “He was the captain of the Catholic-Jewish ship and steered its significant voyage in the transition from the pontificate of Paul VI to the remarkable pontification of John Paul II.”
French Foreign Minister Clarifies Remarks on Iran AJC expressed appreciation to French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy for clarifying his reported remarks about Iran. The minister contacted Valerie Hoffenberg, AJC’s Paris representative, and Roger Cukierman, president of the CRIF, the umbrella organization for the French Jewish community, to clarify his earlier reported statements that suggested Iran “plays a stabilizing role in the region.” In their conversation, Douste-Blazy told Hoffenberg that his statements meant that “Iran must assume all its responsibilities and contribute to stabilizing the region rather than contributing to the destabilization and escalation of violence.”
Anglican Bishop’s Controversial Statements on Israel Rabbi David Rosen, AJC’s international director of interreligious affairs, sent a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, expressing concerns regarding statements made by Bishop Riah Abu El Asaf, the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, that are posted on the Anglican Communion’s website. Bishop Riah accuses Israel of "racism", "hate crimes" and a "strategy of ethnic cleansing" over "four and five generations.” In his letter, Rabbi Rosen, said, “This kind of ridiculously violent language and perverse allegations naturally only reinforce the perception of Bishop Abu El Asal as one who plays an extremist political tune for his own partisan political purposes and certainly does no good for the real interests of Christian communities in the Holy Land.”
AJC Meets with House Leader Nancy Pelosi San Francisco Chapter President Steven Kornetsky, Chair of Israel Advocacy Task Force Milton Jacobs and Executive Director Ernest Weiner met with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, to discuss the Israel Lebanon crisis.
AJC Radio Message: Why World Powers Support Israel In his national radio message on the CBS radio network, David Harris discusses why leading world powers are supporting Israel in her defensive war against the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah. The leaders of Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain and the U.S. “all understood right from the start who was responsible for the outbreak of violence between Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel,” says Harris. “They made clear that Hezbollah must be stopped, and disarmed. Otherwise, Lebanon will never be a free country and Israel will never live in peace.” Listen.
AJC Addresses American Bar Association Annual Meeting Richard Foltin, AJC’s Legislative Director and Counsel, coordinated, and spoke at, a session on "Separation of Church and State: Is the Wall Crumbling?" at the American Bar Association's Annual Meeting in Honolulu. Foltin serves as chair of the First Amendment Rights Committee of the ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Mideast Briefing: Hezbollah's Many Mistakes To say Israel is losing the war to Hezbollah is as inaccurate as claiming the the Arab world would destroy Israel in 1967, that PLO forces were winning in the 1970s, writes Barry Rubin in this week's analysis of poltical developments in the Middle East. Rubin is filling in for Eran Lerman who regularly writes the weekly Mideast Briefing. Read briefing.
Take Action Now – Send Letters in Support of Israel Visit AJC’s online Advocacy Center to take action by urging world leaders to give full support to Israel and thank Congress for its action in supporting Israel. Send a letter of appreciation to President Bush and Congress, and send letters of concern, with concrete suggestions for action, to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and to the foreign minister of Finland, who currently holds the presidency of the European Union. Other current action items include Promote Energy Independence; Support DC Voting; Stop Iran’s Nuclear Arms Drive; Stand Against Hatred; Tell Congress: End Our Dangerous Addiction to Foreign Oil! Make your voices heard today. Our Advocacy Center makes it easy, and it will take only a few minutes to help Israel and support other important initiatives. Take Action Now.
In the Media Jason Isaacson, director of AJC’s Office of Government and International Affairs, appeared on FOX News Weekend Live to discuss Israel’s defensive war against Hezbollah.
A Washington Post story on the implications of trends in Orthodox Jewish voting patterns quoted David Harris as well as several AJC surveys. Read article.
The Christian Science Monitor quoted David Harris in an article on U.S. Jewish and Muslim reactions to the Hezbollah – Israel conflict.
The New York Sun quoted AJC spokesman Kenneth Bandler in an editorial on Human Rights Watch statements and reports on Israel.
Catholic News Service and Religion News Service quoted Rabbi David Rosen on the death of Cardinal Johannes Willebrands.
The Sunday Times of London quoted David Harris in an article on Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest for DUI.
The Miami Herald published a letter by Bernita M. King, president of AJC’s Miami Chapter, on Hezbollah.
The Associated Press quoted Eran Lerman, director of AJC’s Israel Office, in an article on Hezbollah’s advanced weapons.
The New York Jewish Week published a letter by David Harris on energy independence, responding to a Jewish Week editorial, "Stop Dithering on Energy." Read letter. | |
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