February 6, 2025 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch, President Michael Tichnor, Board of Governors Chair Bobby Lapin, and members of the Board of Governors and other national leaders traveled to Israel this week to meet with government officials, released hostages, hostage families, and those affected by Iran and its proxies’ terror throughout the country.
“It was so meaningful to be back in Israel, especially as the first phase of the hostage agreement is being implemented, ” said Deutch. “We carried with us a message of unity and support from the global Jewish community. Among other meetings, we met with families of hostages and released hostages, as well as survivors and victims’ families of the October 7, 2023, attack. They shared their harrowing stories, inspiring us with their bravery and resilience. AJC remains fiercely committed to bringing every hostage home and ensuring Israel can continue to counter any terror threats they continue to face from seven fronts.”
“From its founding in 1906, AJC has stood up for the Jewish people and Israel time and time again, and since October 7, that mission is more important than ever,” said Tichnor. “The work we have been engaged in for the last 16 months has been deeply meaningful and impactful, and as we told everyone we met over the trip, we remain steadfast in our dedication to the people of Israel and their safety and security.”
The group met with Israeli government leaders and members of Knesset, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, leader of the National Unity Party MK Benny Gantz, as well as Stephanie Hallett, U.S. Charge d’Affairs in Israel. The group also held a round table luncheon with Ambassadors to Israel from Bahrain, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Argentina, and Japan.
The delegation visited Kibbutz Nir Oz–guided by a survivor of the October 7 massacre, the Nova Festival site, and Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. They also spoke with family members of hostages and recently released hostages. AJC has organized more than 500 meetings with senior government officials and diplomats around the world for hostage families to keep this humanitarian crisis front and center until every hostage is brought home.
The group also heard from mayors of Northern cities whose residents have been displaced due to Hezbollah rocket attacks and, when traveling to the North, visited and mourned with members of the Druze community in Majdal Shams, where in July 2024, 12 children were murdered by a rocket launched by Hezbollah.
Deutch, Tichnor, and Lapin were joined by Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, Chief of Staff Casey Kustin, and AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, as well as other AJC staff and members of AJC’s Board of Governors.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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