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Highlights from Sebastian Kurz's Keynote Speech on EU-Israel Relations and Jewish Life in Europe
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AJC CEO Tells Leading Greek Media: Trajectory in Greek-U.S. Ties “Steadily Upward”
One of Greece’s most prominent newspapers, Kathimerini, interviewed AJC CEO David Harris on the challenges the Eastern Mediterranean countries face, from Turkey’s belligerent behaviour to Islamist threats. Harris hailed the vibrant and strategic trilateral alliance between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, a crucial partnership long supported by AJC, as contributing to peace in the region.
Israel’s Security and Political Challenges Under the New Government
On 12 June 2021, Naftali Bennett, leader of Israel’s New Right party, was sworn in as Prime Minister as part of a rotation agreement with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party. The unprecedented coalition holds only a wafer-thin majority and brings together political parties with vast ideological differences, including for the first time an Arab party. MEP Lukas Mandl, Lahav Harkov, Jerusalem Post Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent, Daniel Schwammenthal, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director, and Roland Freudenstein, Wilfried Martens Centre Policy Director discussed how the new government will address domestic issues and foreign affairs.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Has a Problem With Jews
When will Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota face real consequences for her incendiary, antisemitic comments? In this column for Newsweek, AJC CEO David Harris writes that it’s high time. “There should be clear-cut consequences for any member of Congress, of either party, responsible for a growing list of unambiguously bigoted comments.”
European Commission President Vows to Strengthen Ties with Israel and Fight Antisemitism at AJC Global Forum
Addressing thousands of participants worldwide at AJC Global Forum 2021, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to strengthen ties with Israel, “a vitally important country for the European Union, not only because of our common past, but also because of our common future,” and underlined the EU’s commitment to fight rising antisemitism across the continent.
UAE Foreign Minister Discusses UAE-Israel Ties, Peace in the Middle East
In a landmark conversation during AJC Global Forum 2021, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, discussed the momentum brought by the normalization of UAE-Israel ties, the spread of peace across the Middle East, AJC’s newest office in Abu Dhabi, and more with AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson.
French President Macron Pledges Commitment to Israel’s Security and Fight against Anti-Jewish Hatred at AJC Global Forum
"France's profound attachment to Israel's security [...] has never wavered," declared French President Emmanuel Macron to an international audience at AJC Global Forum 2021. Stressing France’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in December 2019, President Macron reiterated his commitment to combat hatred and extremism across the country.
Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Worth Saving?
At AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, two foreign policy veterans participated in The Max Fisher Annual Program, The Great Debate: Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Worth Saving? The session pitted Ambassador Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the United States (2014-19), the United Nations (2009-14), and Israel (2003-06) against Michael Doran, Middle East analyst and National Security Council Senior Director (2005-07). Moderated by Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer.
Letter From a Forgotten Jew
In a tribute to millenia-old vibrant Jewish Communities across the Middle East, AJC CEO David Harris stresses in The Times of Israel that the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries remain unsolved, and too often brushed aside.
AJC Urges EU to End Incitement in Palestinian Textbooks
18 June 2021 – Brussels – The AJC Transatlantic Institute calls on the European Commission to take action to bring about an immediate end to incitement in Palestinian Authority-issued textbooks and, if necessary, withhold some funds to Ramallah to bring about the necessary changes in the...
Are EU Funds Supporting Islamism?
Germany and other states have cut ties with some Muslim organizations over their embrace of antisemitic and extremist ideologies, but the EU continues to provide financial support to many of these groups. Nicola Beer, Vice President of the EU Parliament, Monika Hohlmeier, Chair of the EU Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee, and Michael Laubsch, Policy Analyst and Member of the European Citizens‘ Initiative STOP EXTREMISM, discussed the integrity of the EU’s funding standards in a conversation moderated by Michael Sieveking, AJC Transatlantic Institute Deputy Director.