Mission statement
Transatlantic Friends of Israel
The Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) is a cross-party, inter-parliamentary group dedicated to the postwar order of transatlantic security and cooperation bestowed on us by visionary American and European leaders. We are united in the conviction that Israel, the Middle East’s only liberal democracy, ought to be understood as an integral part of this vital security, political, and economic architecture.
We affirm that the alliance between Europe, the United States, Canada, and Israel is anchored in shared values, interests, and history. This partnership is a crucial vehicle to strengthen our security and prosperity and to protect the rules-based international order.
We recognize that the threats we face today – from rising extremism and terrorism to radical regimes and nuclear proliferation – require ever closer cooperation among our democracies. In this struggle, Israel is Europe’s and America’s first line of defense in a volatile region. With its first-class security services, cutting-edge high-tech sector, and thriving knowledge-based economy, the Jewish state is a vital ally and partner.
We urge Europe, the United States, Canada, and Israel to deepen their political, security and economic cooperation within the framework of a strong partnership. We refuse to allow the inevitable differences that arise even among the closest partners to jeopardize this bond.
In Focus
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Campaign
226 Lawmakers from Europe and North America Urge Terror Listing of Iran’s IRGC
Led by the AJC-backed Transatlantic Friends of Israel, 220 lawmakers from Europe and North America urge EU countries and Western democracies to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the terrorists they are.
The interparliamentary statement was released amid the regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters, its escalating regional and global aggression, and a spike in acts of state terrorism.
Members
Membership
The growing membership of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) includes lawmakers from both sides of the Atlantic committed to strengthening the partnership between the United States, Israel, Canada, and Europe.
News
220 Lawmakers from Europe and North America Urge Terror Listing of Iran’s IRGC
December 8, 2022 – Brussels – Today, 220 lawmakers from Europe, the United States, and Canada urged Western democracies to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, as terrorist organizations. The legislators’...
AJC Convenes Lawmakers from Ten Countries on Transatlantic Responses to Iran’s Nuclear Program
April 5, 2022 — Washington, D.C. —American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) inter-parliamentary group convened a virtual roundtable discussion on transatlantic responses to Iran’s nuclear ambition. Introduced by new American TFI co-chairs Reps. Brad Schneider (D...
AJC’s Transatlantic Friends of Israel Opens Austrian Chapter - Video
After the launch of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) inter-parliamentary group in the EU Parliament in July 2019, the first national chapter opened on October 13 in the Austrian parliament, under the leadership of Chair MP Martin Engelberg and the support of lawmakers from the Greens, the Social-Democrats and NEOS, the liberal party. With over 150 parliamentarians from both sides of the Atlantic as members, the growing TFI network is the first-ever cross-party friendship caucus specifically committed to strengthening the trilateral partnership between the U.S., Israel, and Europe.
Hundreds of Lawmakers Urge European Countries to Back Israel at the UN
In a landmark initiative, 318 lawmakers from both sides of the atlantic and across party lines called on EU member states and fellow democracies to end the systematic discrimination of Israel at the UN. Spearheaded by the AJC-backed Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) and released a day before the start of the UN General Assembly, the legislators call on governments to vote against the excessive number of anti-Israel resolutions, work to reform the UN Human Rights Council and abolish its discriminatory Agenda Item 7, and help discontinue UN committees and programs with specific anti-Israel agendas.
TFI Chair Mandl: Israel Defends Itself and Civilizational Values
Brussels, 18 May 2021 - “Heavily-armed terror organizations unscrupulously fire rockets at civilian residential areas. Children, women and men are traumatized by this rocket fire and other acts of terror and are ultimately the victims of these terrorists,” says Lukas Mandl, speaker on foreign...
AJC Joins European and North American Lawmakers in Affirming Support for Israel
13 May 2021 - Brussels – The AJC Transatlantic Institute hailed the outpour of support for Israel in a statement signed by over 50 European and North American lawmakers from 20 countries in response to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli civilians by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The...
Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) Discuss NATO-Israel Ties
Over 70 legislators, diplomats, and officials from Europe, North America, and Israel gathered for an exclusive online discussion on the burgeoning NATO-Israel ties co-organized by the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) and the Mission of Israel to the EU and NATO. Co-hosted by TFI members MP Attila Mesterházy, NATO Parliamentary Assembly Vice President, and Canadian MP James Bezan, Vice Chair of the House of Commons National Defence Standing Committee, the panel discussion featured H.E. Aharon Leshno-Yaar, Ambassador of Israel to the EU and NATO, Colonel Nir Omer, Military Representative to NATO and to the EU, former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges Dr. Jamie Shea, and AJC Jerusalem Director Lt Col (res.) Avital Leibovich as moderator.
TFI Chair Mandl: We Must Intensify Relations with Israel
Vienna, 25 February 2021 - "The fight against the pandemic and the relaunch of the economy and the labour market are certainly the priority topics of the video conference of the EU heads of state and government today and tomorrow. I welcome the foresight of the EU Council President Charles...
Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) Discuss U.S. Policy on Iran
Over 40 legislators, diplomats, and officials from Europe, North America, and Israel gathered for an exclusive Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) online discussion on the Biden administration’s policy on Iran. Speakers included Rep. Ted Deutch, Chair of the US House Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism, MEPs Anna Fotyga and TFI Chair Lukas Mandl, both members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
TFI Chair Lukas Mandl Hails Establishment of Kosovo-Israel Ties and Calls for Deeper EU-Israel Relations
Brussels, February 3, 2021. "In these days, the mutual recognition of the State of Israel and the Republic of Kosovo will become a reality. As different as the two states are, it is also true that both are of particular importance for the development of the EU and Europe therefore it is a...
Past events
Supporters
It is an honor to send greetings to the Transatlantic Friends of Israel, a new cross-party parliamentary friendship group dedicated to fostering strong transatlantic ties with Israel. Key foreign policy issues - including stalwart support for our allies in Europe and in Israel - traditionally enjoy bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. It is my hope that the Transatlantic Friends of Israel can work towards achieving the same unwavering support in Europe for the Jewish state.
As a long-time believer in the deepening of transatlantic ties and a staunch supporter of Israel, I was delighted to learn about AJC’s new Transatlantic Friends of Israel inter-parliamentary friendship group. With a clear set of common interests and values, this trilateral project could not have come soon enough. As this group continues to grow and expand, I look forward to working together to pursue our agenda of partnership and friendship.
