Press Releases and Statements

American Jewish Committee cautioned Governor Gavin Newsom and top state education officials about last-minute additions before a scheduled hearing on the revised model ethnic studies curriculum.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today released an Arabic-language video about the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, part of the organization’s highly successful Arabic video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”).

Nick Cannon, in his first appearance on a Jewish program, AJC Advocacy Anywhere, said today he would be “the sacrificial lamb as a member of the entertainment community” to bring America’s Black and Jewish communities closer together.

Nick Cannon will appear Monday on the popular American Jewish Committee online program, AJC Advocacy Anywhere, for a candid conversation about antisemitism, racism, and Black-Jewish relations. The online series has attracted more than three million viewers worldwide since its inception in March.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) is urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to consider withdrawing the nomination of Col. Douglas Macgregor as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany. “It is because of our intensive engagement with Germany that we were so troubled by the reports of recent days regarding Col. Macgregor’s many incendiary comments over the years about the German government, Germany’s confrontation with its Nazi past, the NATO alliance, immigration policy, and other topics,” AJC CEO David Harris wrote in a letter to Secretary Pompeo, who addressed the AJC Virtual Global Forum in June.

The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Muslim Jewish Advisory Council condemns Thursday’s intrusion into a Zoom observance of Tisha B’av by a lone interloper spewing antisemitic remarks as well as bigoted comments against Hindus and African Americans.

The Philadelphia Region of American Jewish Committee today published an open letter to the leadership of the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference regarding the antisemitic post of Rodney Muhammad, head of the group’s Philadelphia chapter.

AJC welcomes the State Department report to Congress on Holocaust restitution and compensation efforts. The report is required by the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act of 2017.

The Philadelphia Muslim Jewish Circle of Friends, convened by American Jewish Committee (AJC), issued the following statement regarding an antisemitic Facebook posting by Rodney Muhammad, president of the NAACP’s Philadelphia Chapter.

American Jewish Committee's (AJC) Los Angeles and San Francisco offices presented outgoing University of California President Janet Napolitano with the Marlene Bane Distinguished Public Service Award in recognition of her “remarkable and unparalleled career in public service.” The newly established award is named in honor of Marlene Bane, a third-generation member of AJC, pillar of the Los Angeles Jewish community, and tireless advocate for democratic values.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised Spain for adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.

The Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition mourns the passing of Congressman John Lewis, a dear partner and friend of AJC.

“No one in American public life was as admired as a prophetic voice calling on us to live up to our highest values and greatest aspirations, to strive to make this nation a more perfect union, as John Lewis,” said AJC CEO David Harris, who knew the Congressman for many years. “Even as he battled cancer, Rep. Lewis continued to be a powerful voice of conscience for our nation, at a time when it is once again sorely needed.”

“The truth is that for Argentines, the AMIA attack is very painful. This was not an attack against the Jewish community only, it was an attack against Argentina,” President Fernandez said on an American Jewish Committee (AJC) Advocacy Anywhere program today. “The victims, many of them, were members of the Jewish community. But they were Argentines first and foremost and it hurts us as such.” In a 45-minute conversation with Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Belfer Center for Latino and Latin American Affairs, President Fernandez discussed the AMIA bombing, Hezbollah, antisemitism, his visit to Israel, the coronavirus pandemic, and Argentina’s relations with the United States.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today called on U.S. federal agencies to ensure that any changes to the U.S. asylum system respect the universal right to seek asylum and the prohibition on returning people to places where they face persecution or torture. An official comment by AJC and its Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights calls on U.S. agencies to withdraw a sweeping set of changes they have proposed to implement to the U.S. asylum system.

“This law is about trade not politics, and it has the potential to create jobs and economic growth for Missourians, Palestinians and Israelis,” said American Jewish Committee (AJC) St. Louis Director Nancy Lisker. “We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Parson and for the dogged determination of its lead sponsors, Senator Dr. Bob Onder and Representative Holly Rehder, for championing this important legislation.”

“We are deeply troubled to learn that the Seimas will entertain a resolution which would dedicate 2021 the Year of Juozas Lukša-Daumantas, an active member of the World War II-era Lithuanian Activist Front,” wrote Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, and Faina Kukliansky, Chairwoman, Lithuanian Jewish Community, in their letter to Seimas Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis.

To address this challenge, AJC New England, The Commonwealth Seminar and Get Konnected! convened a coalition that sent letters to members of the Senate and House* today to urge renewed action to ensure passage of the NO HATE Act.

Authored by Felice Gaer, Director of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (JBI), the report details the AJC efforts, led by AJC President Judge Joseph Proskauer and Jacob Blaustein, Chair of AJC’s Executive Committee, to ensure that the preeminent multilateral organization to emerge from the ashes of the Holocaust would have human rights at its core.

The Latino Jewish Leadership Council (LJLC) applauds the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).