June 6, 2025
AJC New York Associate Director Brandon Pinsker and AJC Senior Vice President of Political and Policy Affairs Julie Rayman recently returned from a high-level Project Interchange delegation to Israel, accompanied by the Consuls General of Argentina, Bulgaria, and Serbia. These seasoned diplomats—based in New York—left with something far deeper than policy insight: a personal and profound connection to the people and challenges of Israel today.
Over five intensive days, the delegation engaged directly with top Israeli leaders and experts. Briefings included Dr. Raz Zimmt of the Institute for National Security Studies on Iran, Brigadier General (res.) Nitzan Nuriel on security threats, and international law expert David Benjamin on the evolving roles of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)—a particularly timely discussion given current global discourse.
Yet it was the human encounters that resonated most deeply. For each of the participants, this was their first visit to Israel since October 7. The group sat with families of hostages—some still waiting, others grieving—and bore witness to raw pain met with extraordinary resilience. In southern Israel, they walked the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre and met Police Sergeant Remo Salman El-Hozayel, who heroically saved nearly 200 lives.
They toured the Gaza Envelope, where devastation meets determination, and visited the Knesset, observing Israeli democracy in action with speeches from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. Private conversations with MK Matan Kahana and MK Boaz Bismuth further underscored the importance of international partnership during this critical time.
By the end of the mission, one theme was clear: this was not just a diplomatic visit—it was a reckoning with the moral and human stakes of war and terror. The diplomats returned not only more informed, but more resolved—committed to speaking out with empathy, clarity, and conviction.
AJC New York looks forward to deepening our partnership with these distinguished leaders as they continue to amplify Israel’s truth on the global stage.
