Press Releases and Statements

American Jewish Committee condemns in the strongest possible terms Monday night’s actions by Bears for Palestine (BfP) at UC Berkeley. What transpired meets the criteria for a riot, complete with violent incursion of some 200 protesters into the auditorium where invited Israeli speaker Ran Bar-Yoshafat was scheduled to talk. The auditorium’s doors were breached, its windows smashed, and threats of violence along with actual violence were leveled against attendees, who were forced to evacuate to safety underground.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today congratulated Julie Katz, AJC Atlanta Associate Director, on her appointment to a special one-year role at the U.S. State Department, working under Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt in the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS). AJC is pleased to support Katz’s tenure for the upcoming year as she takes a sabbatical from the organization, reaffirming its steadfast commitment to supporting the efforts of the United States in countering antisemitism.

A delegation of American Jewish Committee (AJC) leadership this weekend ensured that the Munich Security Conference (MSC) – the world’s foremost annual gathering focused on international relations and global security – kept the need to support Israel in its fight against terrorism and to bring all the hostages home top of mind at this year’s gathering.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today applauded the House of Representatives for its clear-cut condemnation of Hamas for its use of sexual violence including rape as a weapon of war on and since October 7. H.Res.966, passed by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 418-0-1, also calls on the international community to hold accountable the perpetrators of this violence.

The release of the data, from surveys done in the fall of 2023, comes four months after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7 – the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust – at a time when the global Jewish community is experiencing a dramatic surge in antisemitism.

NATO is an indispensable bulwark of peace, security, and prosperity.

Japan and South Korea’s support of Israel following the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas is a reflection of a strong bond between the two nations forged by an unstinting commitment to democracy and economic ties that have propelled both nations’ growth, American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch said following a mission last week to Japan and South Korea.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today welcomed a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) agreement made with Delaware’s Red Clay Consolidated School District in a June 2023 student-filed case detailing horrific harassment of a Jewish student.

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, one of the world’s leading experts on Holocaust denial, today lamented the ‘“tidal wave of antisemitism” since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and expressed shock at the numerous attempts to deny the atrocities committed during the terror attack. 

For the sixteenth consecutive year, Rabbi Andrew Baker, American Jewish Committee (AJC) Director of International Jewish Affairs, has been appointed as Personal Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism. Ian Borg, Foreign Minister of Malta and the 2024 OSCE Chair-in-Office, met with Baker in Vienna to discuss his work and welcome him to the chairmanship’s team.

South Africa’s outrageous case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was dealt a major blow today, as the Court plainly rejected South Africa’s request for Israel to be ordered to cease its defensive military operation against Hamas in Gaza.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) released new data showing that an overwhelming consensus of Americans – both Jews and the general public – support Holocaust education in public schools and measures to invest in resources to teach about the Holocaust and to assess the effectiveness of these lessons.

American Jewish Committee welcomed today’s decision upholding Meta’s prohibition of and policy for removing Holocaust denial content by the Oversight Board, an independent entity established by Meta.

Irving M. Levine, a longtime civil rights activist and community organizer who spent more than 25 years in leadership roles at American Jewish Committee, died on January 11 in White Plains, NY. He was 94.

For the past two days, the world has been forced to listen to the hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the outrageous case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) released new data showing how Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel is affecting American Jews – they are feeling less safe.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, today announced that Agnieszka Markiewicz will be returning to her previous post as the Rubin and Frances Partel Director of the AJC Central Europe Office in Warsaw. Markiewicz, a native of Poland, previously held this position from 2017 - 2019.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today released A Law Enforcement Guide to Countering Antisemitism: Implementing the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism in partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA).

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, today applauded House and Senate passage of the MARITIME Act and legislation to create a dedicated ambassador-rank Special Envoy for the Abraham Accords. Both included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), these measures seek to curb Iran’s influence in the region, disrupt support for the regime’s terrorist proxies, and enhance Israel’s integration by employing a robust framework to expand regional cooperation.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) released the following statement after University of Pennsylvania (Penn) President Liz Magill stepped down from her post.