Press Releases and Statements

Last week, in partnership with Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), American Jewish Committee (AJC) Project Interchange hosted a delegation of entertainment industry leaders in Israel, providing these executives the opportunity to experience Israel and meet with Israelis firsthand.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes the agreement reached by Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States, to begin the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

Just as the 2020 Accords did not materialize overnight, neither will their expansion. Even as we face unprecedented challenges in the region, there is reason for hope and a necessity for this work to continue. We must build on the foundation laid five years ago – for a new era of regional cooperation, greater stability, and the opportunity for a future defined by prosperity rather than perpetual conflict.

Belgium’s announcement of its intention to recognize a Palestinian state is, like similar pronouncements from other nations, counterproductive to the stated goal of achieving a two-state solution, even with Brussels making clear that such recognition is dependent upon the fulfillment of specific, well-defined conditions.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, strongly opposes the German government’s decision to impose a partial arms embargo on Israel and urges Berlin to reconsider.

Today’s announcement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the United Kingdom intends to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state in September—unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and meets a list of other one-sided conditions—is deeply alarming. It sends a chilling and dangerous message in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, massacre: that terrorism, mass murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping are viable means of achieving political objectives.

A coalition of leading American Jewish organizations, including ADL (Anti-Defamation League), American Jewish Committee (AJC), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), B’nai B’rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, UJA-Federation of New York and WJC (World Jewish Congress), today declined an invitation to meet with France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot.

Today’s announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron to formally and unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood without any preconditions at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September comes at an extremely troubling time, with Hamas continuing to reject proposals for a ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages.

Yesterday’s passing of a symbolic resolution opposing Palestinian statehood in the Israeli Knesset – with more than a third of the body absent – reflects the Israeli people’s understandable fear and deep skepticism of a Palestinian state in the aftermath of October 7, the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust in which more than 1,200 people were murdered and over 250 taken hostage, 120 of whom remain in Hamas captivity. Israelis are rightly concerned that Hamas or another terrorist movement could at some point take over the Palestinian Authority, and that the realities of October 7 could repeat. The resolution should not be misinterpreted as the Israeli people’s rejection of peace with their Palestinian neighbors. It must be understood in the context of this moment.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch today praised President Biden's nomination of Jack Lew to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today expressed profound disappointment over the passage of the Reasonableness Standard Law in Israel.

The new law was pushed through unilaterally by the governing coalition amid deepening divisions in Israeli society as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have taken to the streets. Of particular concern to AJC, the continued effort to press forward on judicial reform rather than seeking compromise has sown discord within the Israeli Defense Forces at a time of elevated threats to the Jewish homeland and has strained the vital relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. 

AJC CEO Ted Deutch issued this statement following Israeli President Isaac Herzog's address to Congress this morning:

President Herzog’s address to Congress is a potent symbol of the ironclad partnership between the U.S. and Israel and how it has transformed the Middle East. It also underscores the president’s vital role as a bridge builder, one who offers pragmatic and actionable solutions to many of the issues that confront Israel. His voice is one we need to hear more. Israel has no better emissary. I know him personally as someone whose commitment and love for his nation knows no bounds. That passion was on full display today on Capitol Hill.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today expressed concern over the Knesset’s vote to advance a portion of the governing coalition's judicial reform effort, deepening existing divisions instead of resuming the compromise negotiations conducted by President Herzog.

A delegation of U.S. college presidents has arrived in Israel to exchange ideas with their counterparts in the Jewish State and forge partnerships with students and faculty from both nations, as part of a trip sponsored by Project Interchange, an educational institute of American Jewish Committee.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told AJC Global Forum that Israel’s relations with Diaspora Jewry are crucial to the future of the only Jewish state.

Speaking with Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC) during the opening session of AJC Global Forum 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the battle over a proposed overhaul of Israel’s judicial system, is proof that democracy in Israel remains vibrant and an example for the world.

The Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI)—the interparliamentary, cross-party network spearheaded by the American Jewish Committee (AJC)—launched its Italian chapter to strengthen the ties between Europe, and specifically Italy, the United States, Canada, and Israel. TFI Italy Chair Senator Marco Scurria announced the launch in the Italian Senate with the support of 16 bicameral lawmakers from Fratelli d'Italia, Lega, Forza Italia, Noi Moderati, and Partito Democratico.

We welcome the Israeli government’s suspension of legislative consideration of judicial reform measures. The last three months have been painful to watch and yet a textbook case of democracy in action. We respect the political leaders, business executives, community activists, cultural figures, and ordinary Israelis who took to the streets, exercising their love of country, and their passion for democracy."

A bipartisan group of U.S. mayors is visiting Israel this week with Project Interchange, an educational institute of American Jewish Committee (AJC), in partnership with The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). The program’s intensive sessions and visits throughout the country will enable the mayors to gain a first-hand understanding of Israel’s vibrant democracy, innovative technologies, diverse society, and regional challenges. This is the fifth delegation of U.S. mayors to participate in this annual seminar.