Press Releases and Statements

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.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, brought together the Trump Administration, elected officials, diplomats, and thought leaders in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to introduce AJC’s Center for a New Middle East and present a vision for a new path forward in the Middle East in a post-October 7 world. As outlined in the Center’s policy recommendations for the Trump administration, released at tonight’s event, the Center’s work focuses on interconnected initiatives that deepen ties throughout the Middle East with a focus on diplomacy, business, and civil society.

After more than 30 years of active engagement in the Arab world, American Jewish Committee (AJC) today announced the establishment of AJC’s Center for a New Middle East, an initiative that will bolster the organization’s decades of work to build trust, understanding, and interconnectedness throughout the Middle East.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is urging members of the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) to issue a condemnation of Hamas’s terror attack against Israel following the body’s emergency session Sunday. AJC welcomes statements from individual Member States expressing solidarity with Israel and urges key UN bodies and other multinational institutions to follow suit.

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.

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.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch today met with Israel President Isaac Herzog, after Herzog told the European Parliament that Israel’s right to exist is not subject to debate. Deutch was in Brussels with an AJC delegation to meet with members of the European Parliament and Herzog, who spoke to the parliament, one of the legislative bodies of the European Union, on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Just a day after Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told the United Nations he supports a two-state solution, it was regrettable that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reacted to this courageous overture with hostile rhetoric that prevents a meaningful dialogue.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s call, in his address to the UN General Assembly, for the search for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The leading global Jewish advocacy organization offered this statement:

An American Jewish Committee delegation of 80 people from across the United States were joined last evening by Emirati government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders, and members of the local Jewish community to celebrate the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords and the official opening earlier this year of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) hailed today’s announcement that Saudi Arabia will permit Israeli commercial flights to traverse the kingdom’s airspace. “In the spirit of the historic Abraham Accords, today’s Saudi announcement is a significant example of normalization that will further advance the promise and reality of Arab-Israeli peace,” said AJC CEO David Harris.

American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) inter-parliamentary group convened a virtual roundtable discussion on transatlantic responses to Iran’s nuclear ambition. Introduced by new American TFI co-chairs Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), the discussion brought together 22 members of Congress, members of the Knesset, and lawmakers from Europe and Canada. The event was moderated by AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson.

After the launch of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) inter-parliamentary group in the EU Parliament in July 2019, the first national chapter opened on October 13 in the Austrian parliament, under the leadership of Chair MP Martin Engelberg and the support of lawmakers from the Greens, the Social-Democrats and NEOS, the liberal party.

In an unprecedented transatlantic initiative, 313 cross-party lawmakers from Europe, North America, and Israel urged EU countries and democracies worldwide to help end the discrimination against Israel at the United Nations. Spearheaded by AJC’s Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI), the interparliamentary statement comes ahead of tomorrow’s opening of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.