Press Releases and Statements

American Jewish Committee (AJC), ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), and Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools today expressed “deep concern” about remarks at a recent conference of the National Association of Independent Schools where several speakers used their time to accuse Israel of genocide and used extreme, biased anti-Israel rhetoric, including downplaying the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Philadelphia/Southern NJ today welcomed an agreement between Temple University and the U.S. Department of Education, which outlines how Temple can better address antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents on campus.

Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of Interreligious Affairs for American Jewish Committee, has written a letter to Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu expressing concern about the victory in the first round of the Romanian presidential election by Cailin Georgescu.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is today calling for immediate action from European government ministers in response to surging and increasingly violent antisemitism on the continent. To protect Jews in Europe - and the European way of life - AJC is calling for an emergency high-level meeting of relevant ministers from across Europe and for these officials to implement new enforcement, protection, and justice-related actions in the fight against antisemitism.

American Jewish Committee Seattle Director Regina Sassoon Friedland issued a statement following word that the home of University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce was vandalized and damaged.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the nonpartisan global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, has urged the Lithuanian Social Democrats leader and likely next Prime Minister, Gintautas Paluckas, to reverse his plans to enter into a coalition with the antisemitic Dawn of the River Neman party.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is horrified by the violent, antisemitic assaults on Israeli and Jewish fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team that took place in Amsterdam. This modern-day pogrom reflects a broader rise in antisemitic violence across Europe since October 7 – fueled not only by an anti-Israel political ideology and extremist interpretations of Islam, but also by the rhetoric and complacency of some European leaders. Symbolically, the attacks were a chilling reminder of Europe’s darkest chapters on the very eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9.

American Jewish Committee today welcomed a sweeping report that found the City University of New York (CUNY) is ill-equipped to handle rampant antisemitism at many of its campuses.

In his first address to the United Nations as Iran's President, President Pezeshkian sought to portray himself – and the regime he represents – as a thoughtful partner on the world stage. It is important to remember that his is a regime that is single-handedly responsible for undermining regional stability in the Middle East and around the world, pouring funding and weapons into terror groups that are committed to death and destruction, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, all while building nuclear weapons in violation of international law and the JCPOA.

Today, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Hillel International, and the American Council on Education (ACE) concluded a landmark two-day College and University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism, held at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. With more than 75 university presidents and chancellors attending, the Summit marked the largest-ever gathering of college and university presidents to discuss the topic of confronting antisemitism on campus.

With the FBI reporting that hate crimes against Jews increased a staggering 63% year over year, from 1,124 in 2022 to 1,832 in 2023, AJC recognizes that the actual numbers of incidents is likely greater, as hate crimes are widely underreported across the country. Despite Jews only accounting for 2% of the U.S. population, the community was the target of 68% of religiously motivated hate crimes committed in 2023.

Time and again, we have seen what happens when baseless rumors spread about a religious or ethnic group. The Jewish people know all too well that these claims often foment suspicion, hatred and even violence, regardless of them having no basis in truth.

More than 20,000 people joined American Jewish Committee (AJC) today in calling on major tech and social media companies to take action against the prevalence and impact of antisemitism, support for terrorism, and misinformation about Jews and Israel online and on social media.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Jewish on Campus today announced a new partnership to better support young Jews before, during, and after their time as college students.

As we have seen, antisemitism will only fester and worsen if it is not dealt with. Universities must know that they will be held to account for hostile environments that they knew of or should have known about. They cannot claim ignorance when they are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of students. The University of Illinois must see this agreement as a turning point and implement immediate and lasting change. Jewish students deserve no less.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and Covington & Burling announced that they filed a motion adding supporting evidence to a suit against the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) for violations of California’s open meetings laws tied to antisemitic ethnic studies materials.

Jews once lived in North Africa and the Middle East for millennia and became part of the social fabric of their homelands. There were some 800,000 Jews in these regions after World War II. Barely a decade later, most of them were gone. This pivotal but little-known piece of history is the focus of The Forgotten Exodus, an award-winning podcast from American Jewish Committee. The second season debuted today. Additional episodes will be released weekly through Sept. 23.

As Iran and its proxies threaten an imminent attack against Israel, American Jewish Committee (AJC) this week urged the U.S. administration, America's G7 allies, and key strategic partners to take a firm and unified stance to counter the Islamic Republic of Iran’s conventional, terror, and nuclear threats. This ask follows escalating actions not only from Tehran but also the regime’s many proxies throughout the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.

Following the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents on campus, leading Jewish and educational groups call on college and university administrators to take action ahead of the new school year.

AJC New England thanks Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey for signing into law sections 106 and 201 of the FY25 Massachusetts budget. They will establish a Special Commission for Addressing Antisemitism, and prompt the creation of curricula, resources, and professional development opportunities to support antisemitism education.