International Relations
| "The AJC is one of the most influential non-governmental organizations in the world — and the most influential in a number of areas." —Solomon Passy
Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Foreign Minister of Bulgaria from July 2001 - August 2005
"We will never forget the vital support you gave Bulgaria in the past decade."— Hristo Kirchev, Vice Chairman, Parliament of Bulgaria
"The American Jewish Committee is a major stakeholder in American foreign policy."—Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Dan Geoana
"In my meetings with the American Jewish Committee, it has seemed to me that you are really the Global Jewish Committee."—Foreign Minister Amre Moussa of Egypt
"The AJC is a welcome forum for transatlantic dialogue.... We are grateful to for its contributions to understanding between peoples and to fostering the German—Jewish dialogue.... The Bundeswehr sees the AJC as an important enrichment for our officers. We would not want to be without the partnership."—German Minister of Defense Peter Struck
"The fruits of the dialogue between the AJC and the Bundeswehr [German military] are quite impressive. Here are some examples: Since 1994, future full—time youth officers have been visiting the AJC on an annual basis as part of an educational trip.... Since 1999, the same hjas applied to participants of the German/Admiral Staff Officer Courses at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College and the Higher Command and Staff Seminar.... There have been several visits of high—ranking members of the AJC as well as lectures by Mr. Harris at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, the Army Officer School, and the Bundeswehr universities.... Our point of contact in Germany, the AJC office in Berlin, and Division I of the Armed Forces Staff, which is under my command, maintain active, close and friendly relations. The significance of these relations is underlined by high—level talks between the AJC and the Federal Minister of Defense.... Apart from regular meetings and discussions, we can be particularly proud of concrete relief measures for people in need that have been carried out in recent years. One example that speaks for itself is the humanitarian relief project for Kosovar Moslems in a refugee camp in Macedonia....
"All of this illustrates our unusually open, friendly and vital relations. The Bundeswehr considers these relations to be a very special asset that we would not want to do without. It is thus in gratitude that we look back on these past ten years."—Brigadier General Karl Schreiner, Deputy Chief of Staff, German Military
"The American Jewish Committee is the single most effective NGO in the world that I have ever encountered.... AJC has brought Eastern Europe closer to the United States and Israel, thus reawakening Jewish life in this tormented and promising part of the world.... The American Jewish Committee has a vision. It is both an outstanding think tank of academic caliber, and it is a think tank full of doers. AJC has been engaged with Bulgaria for many years and we are grateful for its strong support. —Solomon Passy, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria "I have been telling my fellow EU foreign ministers — when you go to the United States and meet with Colin Powell to discuss the Middle East, you should also be meeting with the American Jewish Committee." —Foreign Minister George Papandreou of Greece
"I take great pride not only in the close links we maintained with the United States but also with Israel, as well as the cooperative ties we fostered with the American Jewish Committee to sensitize the German military to our special historical responsibility to the Jewish people."—Rudolf Scharping, German Defense Minister
"Thank you for alerting me to the matter. Otherwise, it would not have gotten done."—Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Nikolay Vassilev
"[The German Defense Ministry] has an excellent working relationship with the American Jewish Committee, and David Harris plays a preeminent role in this partnership. Thank you, Mr. Harris, for the excellent speech you gave at the German armed forces university. The presentations resonated with the members of the German armed forces."upon announcing the return to the Jewish community of a long disputed property at 9 Saborna Street in Sofia —German Minister of Defense Peter Struck
"The American Jewish Committee has brought Eastern Europe closer to the United States and Israel, thus reawakening Jewish life in this tormented and promising part of the world."—Solomon Passy, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria
"I know we can continue to count on the American Jewish Committee's ongoing moral, political, and diplomatic support."July 2001 - August 2005 — Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija of Bosnia—Herzegovina
"AJC argued brilliantly [at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the treatment of religious minorities in Europe] about the need for us all to work together."—Senator Gordon Smith
"It is no exaggeration to state that the American Jewish Committee is the best ambassador of Greek Jews in the United States."—David Saltiel, President of the Board of the Jewish Community, Thessaloniki
"We are very impressed by the great importance of AJC's annual dinner, which represents the major role played by the AJC in the United States."—Roger Cukierman, President, Council of Jews in France
"The AJC is the leading Jewish organization in the United States."— La Nacion, a leading Argentinian newspaper
"We highly appreciate the role of the American Jewish Committee in deepening the friendship and cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Azerbaijan."— President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
"Over the years Washington's rejection of religious bigotry has matured from a foundation of our domestic politics into a guiding doctrine of our foreign policy. The AJC deserves special credit for this progress .... Formed to resist anti—Semitic persecution in Czarist Russia, the AJC has emerged as a great champion of religious liberty worldwide."—President George W. Bush
"The American Jewish Committee's efforts and vigilance are critically important to promoting tolerance and religious freedom in Russia and Ukraine."—President Bill Clinton
"Let me acknowledge those who have substantially contributed to the creation of an order of security and peace in Europe, such as the American Jewish Committee."—Czech President Václav Havel
"This institution, a pioneer in the defense of human rights, stands out for its intense work in favor of liberty, justice, and understanding between ethnic, racial, and religious groups, not only in the United States, but also in the rest of the world. The main public affairs issues that concern this prestigious institution, such as the fight against racism, the defense of freedom of religion, and the respect for civil rights are a natural outgrowth of the rich and complex experience of the Jewish people. The principles of the AJC reflect a profound humanism, the fruit of the Jewish people's religious and cultural legacy, as well as their extraordinary history."—Mexican President Vicente Fox
"It is no coincidence that I am giving my first speech in the United States as Federal President before the American Jewish Committee. For over fifty years AJC has been among the avant—garde when it comes to American—German relations."—German President Johannes Rau
"It is particularly gratifying to note that the network of German—American relations has, of late, also been extended by new institutions in Germany.... The American Jewish Committee has opened its office in Berlin; it is good to know that this respected organization is now present in the German capital."—German Chancellor Helmut Kohl
"Your distinguished organization has... notably contributed to Latvia's rapid development as a modern European country with a clear vision of its future and an objective look at its past."—Latvian President Vaira Vike—Freiberga
"I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the American Jewish Committee. You, the Jewish people, more than any other nation, understand the need for security like no others; you have experienced what it means to be totally insecure."—Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek
"I know we can continue to count on the American Jewish Committee's ongoing moral, political, and diplomatic support."— Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija of Bosnia—Herzegovina
"The AJC remains indispensable. No one under—stands more clearly the need for vigilance and the danger of silence. "...I thank AJC for its unwavering and visible support for our efforts [in Kosovo]. I commend the generous campaign of relief you launched to aid the victims. To the people of Kosovo, AJC is a hero.
"...Around the equator and from pole to pole you have done more than preach; you have taught. The benefits of your teaching have spread like manna upon the water, bringing diverse communities into the shared light of mutual understanding. For you believe, as I do, that the more we know about each other, the more we will see ourselves in each other. And that is the beginning of tolerance, and the origin of human progress."—U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
"The American Jewish Committee has pioneered the German—Jewish—American dialogue."—German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel
"The AJC has been investing in the transatlantic partnership for decades in an exemplary way. Indeed, the new Berlin office has, for ever more American Jews, become a bridge of understanding with the Germany of today."—German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer
"It wasn't only material support [that AJC gave Turkey after earthquakes struck], it was also moral support, and it motivated many others to give as well."—Turkish Foreign Minister Ysmail Cem
"I have been telling my fellow EU foreign ministers—when you go to the United States and meet with Colin Powell to discuss the Middle East, you should also be meeting with the American Jewish Committee.
"...I would like to express my deep appreciation of the work carried out by the American Jewish Committee, including its contribution to the promotion of a lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
"...I'm very proud to be here with AJC, among friends and colleagues who have worked enthusiastically and diligently so that ties between Greeks and Jews may survive the test of time, sometimes very difficult times."—Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou
"For more than 15 years, the American Jewish Committee has been at the forefront of efforts to repeal Resolution 3379, the obscene 1975 United Nations General Assembly resolution which found Zionism to be a form of racism and racial discrimination. This has sometimes been a lonely struggle, considered by many to be quixotic. Some even argued that it was better to keep quiet about this obscene resolution. Overall there has been an inability to understand just how dangerous this resolution was to the State of Israel. But the AJC did understand. And persisted."—Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
"A week before the vote, the American Jewish Committee successfully urged Japanese and South Korean leaders not only to support, but to cosponsor repeal [of the Zionism is racism resolution at the UN General Assembly]."—The Forward
"I commend the effective, persistent, persuasive, and, I may add, very diplomatic way AJC has promoted the interests and understandings of Asian attitudes toward Israel."—Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Asher Naim
"AJC's diplomatic meetings are an integral part of the highly acclaimed involvement of the AJC in assisting Israel's advocacy in the international arena."—Ambassador Eytan Bentsur, Director General, Israeli Foreign Ministry
"I would like to thank the American Jewish Committee, which has helped us with bilateral ties throughout the world—in countries where Israel has diplomatic relations, and where it does not yet."—Ambassador Alon Liel, Director General, Israeli Foreign Ministry
"If Israel were to privatize its foreign policy, the American Jewish Committee would be the leading candidate."—Ambassador Michael Shilo, Deputy Director General, Israeli Foreign Ministry
"As I learned from my predecessors and quickly saw for myself, the American Jewish Committee and its affiliate, UN Watch, are essential to Israel's diplomatic agenda in Geneva. UN Watch is the only nongovernmental organization of its kind operating full—time here as a watchdog of the world body, and AJC, with its remarkable international reach, has earned the respect of many governments around the world. I couldn't imagine Geneva without them!"—Ambassador Yaakov Levy, Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, Geneva
"Inclusion of a human rights provision in the UN Charter was due to the brilliant leadership of the American Jewish Committee."—Professor James T. Shotwell, Columbia University
"AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute has become no less than the nucleus around which the U.S.—based human rights movement works out its strategy on major UN issues."—Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch
"I have appreciated the trust and support from the AJC. It has been very precious to me."—Jakob Kellenberger, President, International Committee of the Red Cross
"I recall with particular pleasure the constructive and great cooperation I had with you, the American Jewish Committee, when I served as president of the International Committee of the Red Cross."—Cornelio Sommaruga, President, 1987—1999, International Committee of the Red Cross
"AJC's efforts to establish an ongoing dialogue paid off. The Japanese government pledged to discourage Japanese companies from complying with the Arab boycott. The AJC's dignified, low—key approach should serve as a model for future activism."—David Goodman and Masanori Miyazawa, authors of Jews in the Japanese Mind
"According to Hideo Sato, senior official at the Japanese embassy in Washington, the new Japanese policy of opposing the Arab boycott of Israel was the result of five years of patient diplomacy by the American Jewish Committee."—The Jerusalem Report
"The AJC is an extremely influential group on first—name terms with various prime ministers and presidents the world over."—The Indian Express
"That Germans and Jews can and should live together and work together is still not widely accepted even now. Once again, we see right—wing violence threatening such cooperation in Europe. And it was you, our friends from the American Jewish Committee, who looked beyond this sorry spectacle, stuck to your principles, and made a clear public statement in the summer of 1999: the first common German—Jewish humanitarian effort since the end of the Second World War got underway in view of the intolerable suffering of the Kosovo refugees. Your aid provided medical help for the refugees in a camp in Macedonia. The American Jewish Committee is deserving of our very special thanks."
—Wilhelm Graf Von Schwerin, President,
"The American Jewish Committee is one of the most powerful and influential organizations in the United States, and attaches great importance to Turkey. It has made a substantial contribution to Turkey's well—being...its clout is obvious."Die Johanniter Humanitarian Organization, Germany —Sabah, a leading Turkish national newspaper
"Of the national Jewish organizations, the American Jewish Committee appears the most involved in monitoring Muslim activities, having established a national desk on international terrorism."—Gary Rosenblatt, Editor, The Jewish Week
"Your organization has been a terrific presence, not only in this country but in so many other countries. I share your commitment to ensuring that the United Nations is a strong, vibrant organization that treats all sides fairly."—Congressman Richard Gephardt
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