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Highlights from Sebastian Kurz's Keynote Speech on EU-Israel Relations and Jewish Life in Europe
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UAE-Israel Peace: Europe Must Put Aside its Outdated Thinking
The recent news of a U.S.-brokered historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was electrifying. Moderate Arab states have much to gain from partnering with the Jewish state--from Jerusalem’s expertise in cyber-security and technology to counter-terrorism. AJC CEO David Harris reflects in Europe’s largest circulation newspaper BILD on the accord’s implications for the EU’s Middle East policy and urges Brussels to embrace the new regional dynamics reflected in the UAE-Israel deal.
To America, From a Worried European Friend
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal argues that America is today what it has always been: a flawed society, like all others, but also a unique force for good in the world. If the country convinces itself that it’s inherently and irredeemably racist, it can’t possibly continue to believe that it has any right to lead the free world. As they watch America’s self-immolation, leaders in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran surely can’t believe their luck.
It's Time for the EU to List Hezbollah as a Terror Organization
On 17 July, the eve of the anniversaries of Hezbollah's deadly bomb attacks in Argentina (1994) and in Bulgaria (2012), TFI Secretary General Daniel Schwammenthal and TFI Chair MEP Lukas Mandl co-authored an op-ed in Newsweek entitled "It's Time for the E.U. to List Hezbollah as a Terror Organization."
Webinar: Over 240 Lawmakers Call for EU Hezbollah Ban
On the twin anniversary eve of Hezbollah's bomb attacks in Argentina (1994) and Bulgaria (2012), the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) called on the EU to finally ban the terror group. The declaration was covered by global media outlets including POLITICO Europe, The Hill, Die Welt, Gazeta Wyborcza and The Jerusalem Post. At the virtual launch event, TFI Chair MEP Lukas Mandl, TFI Vice Chair MEP Dietmar Köster, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal, and the Washington Institute’s Hezbollah expert Matthew Levitt discussed the initiative’s impact. AJC CEO David Harris delivered concluding remarks.
AJC Welcomes Passage of EU-Israel Aviation Agreement
Brussels – 18 June 2020 – The AJC Transatlantic Institute welcomes the European Parliament’s passage of the EU-Israel Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement with 437 yes votes, 147 abstentions, and 102 no votes....
AJC Webinar with EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi
In conversation with AJC CEO David Harris, European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi outlined the EU’s policy priorities in relation to the countries and regions at Europe’s borders. Commissioner Várhelyi stressed the need to deepen ties with Israel by holding a long-overdue Association Council, to get to the bottom of allegations of EU funding reaching terrorists, and to work closely with the Jewish state on battling the virus.
Conversation with Jordan’s Ambassador to the U.S.
H.E. Dina Kawar, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the U.S., joins AJC’s Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacon for a discussion about how Amman is dealing with the burden of hosting a refugee population of some 1.4 million people amid a scarcity of natural resources. The ambassador also shared her views on Middle East stability and the regional impact of Covid-19.
Is the EU Funding Terrorism?
In the span of just one week, the European Parliament condemned Palestinian incitement in EU-funded school textbooks and leading MEPs wrote to the EU’s foreign policy chief about allegations that European taxpayer money is reaching NGOs with terror links. Joining Counterpoint host Daniel Schwammenthal to unpack these questions are Olga Deutsch, Vice President of NGO-Monitor, and German MEP Niclas Herbst, Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee.
Congressman Brian Mast tells AJC why he volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces
Watch decorated war veteran Congressman Brian Mast tell AJC why, after 12 years in the US army and serious combat injuries, he still volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces.
Transatlantic Dialogues (Part 2): MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou and Rep. Brian Mast
Part two of the Transatlantic Dialogues series bringing together legislators from both sides of the Atlantic featured Greek MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL). Moderated by AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal, the lawmakers covered a wide range of issues, from international trade and Iranian belligerency to relations with China and opportunities and challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Can the transatlantic partners find some much-needed common ground? Find out in this webinar!