Press Releases and Statements

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

I am encouraged by the news that five Americans whose lives, and whose families’ lives, have been upended by Iran’s longstanding callous practice of political hostage-taking and wrongfully detaining foreign nationals for use as bargaining chips, are closer than ever before to coming home as a result of the agreement announced today.

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 issued a statement following Israel's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

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.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch today issued this statement following the appointment by Secretary of State Antony Blinken of Ambassador Dan Shapiro to be Senior Advisor for Regional Integration: Ambassador Dan Shapiro is an excellent choice to lead America’s efforts to expand the circle of peace in the Middle East, from strengthening the Abraham Accords to working to normalize relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

American Jewish Committee has released a video, "What Ties Jews to Israel?" (“Ma allathi yarbut al-yahud bi-Isra’il?” in Arabic), the 11th installment in the organization’s Arabic-language educational video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), which has received more than 45 million views worldwide. The video released today emphasizes that the unique connection between Jews and the land of Israel does not negate those shared by other religions and peoples. The video is also available in English.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita today said the Abraham Accords have created “incredible momentum” for peace and prosperity in the Middle East and helped create unprecedented growth in his country’s trade with Israel. In a video address to more than 1,500 attendees at AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv, Bourita also said the Kingdom of Morocco took deep pride in its Jewish heritage and support for its Jewish community and institutions.

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.

An American Jewish Committee (AJC) leadership delegation today conducted high-level consultations and events in the United Arab Emirates, continuing AJC’s 25-year-plus engagement with the UAE leadership and building on the 2020 Abraham Accords normalization agreement.

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.

AJC commends Israeli President Isaac Herzog's remarkable effort to reach a resolution for the good of the State of Israel. We believe all sides should expeditiously work to forge a compromise that preserves Israel’s vibrant democracy and the principle of judicial independence on fundamental issues. The final outcome of this process should reflect the broadest possible consensus – not what is politically expedient in the short term.

In a call with American Jewish Committee (AJC) leaders from across the United States, AJC CEO Ted Deutch made remarks on judicial reform in Israel.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) joined in the celebration of the Abrahamic Family House opening in Abu Dhabi. With a mosque, church, and synagogue, along with exhibition space and conference facilities, the new interfaith center drives home the message of interfaith respect and cooperation that has long been a feature of Emirati culture and life. Ambassador (ret.) Marc Sievers, Director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding; Rabbi David Rosen, Director, AJC International Interreligious Affairs; and Reva Gorelick, Program Director, AJC Abu Dhabi, attended the opening ceremony yesterday.

American Jewish Committee, the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, congratulated incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on forming a new government, following the Nov. 1 elections.

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch praised today’s landmark vote by UN member states to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women, a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “We applaud the 29 members of the UN's ECOSOC who declared today that they will no longer allow Iran, a country that relentlessly persecutes women and girls, to serve as a member of the Commission on the Status of Women. Its immediate removal for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term corrects a grave mistake,” said Deutch.