Last Shabbat in the Washington periphery was an extremely pleasant one. The crowds thronged the National Mall lined with its many museums, extending from the Capitol grounds to the Washington Monument, while downtown Washington DC was the scene of a vibrant, multi-colored Gay Pride march that snaked its way across the hub of the capital city, in an exuberant atmosphere of joyous celebration and fun. But at the same time, opposite the obelisk in memory of the first president, George Washington, a completely different march was slowly crawling along – a march of hatred, ignorance and evil. Thousands of protesters in red costumes, kaffiyehs and PLO flags proceeded along the heavily protected sidewalk, making it patently clear why they had come here from all over the US: "No to a two-state solution – we want 1948," "From the River Jordan to the Sea," "Free – Free Palestine," "Intifada – Revolution."

The majority of those demonstrating were extremely young, most of them non-Arab Americans. The meticulous organization of the event was clearly apparent – in each group, the chanting of slogans was led by a different young girl, screaming out uniform messages from her iPhone. I walked amongst them for some time, and although the passersby did not tend to stop and express their identification with the protesters, the overall scene was an extremely depressing and worrying sight.

At the same time, not far away from there, at the enormous Marriott Hotel, preparations were well underway to begin the annual conference of the AJC, the American Jewish Committee, the large and senior representative organization of US Jewry, which has assumed an even broader function as the "global advocacy organization for the Jewish people". More than 2,000 representatives gathered here, fueled by a profound sense of crisis and emergency, if not a genuine 'seismic disruption'. The war in Israel has become intertwined with the genuine sense of battle for their own home, which could not have been more poignantly, or aptly manifested in the hate demonstration that marched a mere stone's throw away from there.

The stage, the discussions and the audience as a whole were replete with experiences similar to those we have become accustomed to seeing on the news on a daily basis. Most of those attending the AJC Forum were Jewish Americans, staunch supporters of Israel of the classic variety – not orthodox Jews, but those Jews, who for more than 100 years, until last October, firmly believed that there strong connection with the liberals in the US would guarantee both their rights as Jews and their lives. It is for this reason that they worked to promote the rights of Afro-Americans, the Hispanic population the LGBT community and even whales, and now – something deep down inside them was undermined following October 7. Although the opinion polls in the US show that support for Israel remains widespread and unflagging, many of them have experienced traumas that have undercut their sense of personal security, alongside their confidence in all that they had believed in regarding their existence in their land. Paradoxically, it is precisely the ties of many of the participants with the liberals that was the cause of them being struck such a heavy blow – they have been thoroughly shaken up by the extent of the betrayal by the American left and the resulting horrifying outburst of antisemitism.

No longer remains in the family

The situation in the universities – the demonstrations, the hatred, the treachery of many lecturers and all the rest of the associated issues that you have heard in recent months took center stage at the conference. Two inspirational female Jewish student leaders, one from the 'front line' at Columbia University in New York and one from Germany, were given an award for their determined stand against the violent protesters. But nobody made any attempt to sugarcoat the situation, on the contrary – it was quite evident that we have gone back 100 years in time, to a time of frightening antisemitism, and the question posed was how we can take an effective position to stand up to this monster.

In a survey conducted by the organization among Jews in the US that was published earlier this week, 64% of those questioned testified that the events since October have had an impact on their relationship with their fellow Americans. At the same time, worrying statistics were revealed regarding the impact of these events on their daily conduct. Many Jews avoid engaging strangers in a conversation broaching issues that are connected to events on the news, there are those who actively conceal their Jewish identity, while many testified to an underlying sense of a lack of security.

In addition, the random personal, one-on-one meetings provided plenty of disturbing stories. Two elderly Jewish women from Los Angeles told me over dinner that they had severed relationships with a number of friends and acquaintances, due to their accusations against Israel. One of them told me of her son – a liberal attorney with a routine left-leaning agenda – and how his friends had stopped speaking to him because of the accusations against Israel. The other lady no longer speaks with her 22-year-old grandson, after he provoked her by saying that the very existence of the State of Israel is what led to the establishment and existence of Hamas. And alongside these stories, I also heard the opposite – one female representative attending the conference told me of one of her daughters who was a pro-Palestinian activist and following the October 7 massacre decided to do an about-face in favor of Israel, and another daughter who has become an active advocate for Jews and for Israel.

A former Israeli woman who now lives in Jersey City, shared with me the profound sense of shock that has taken hold of her in recent months. Among others, after she discovered that a teacher at her 10-year-old daughter's school, handed out to the students a Palestinian book that completely erases the existence of the State of Israel, while another boy in her class was parroting pro-Palestinian messages.

Double shock

A key figure who is well connected to the heart of the issue is Dr. Alexandra Herzog, the niece of both Israel's President Herzog and Israel's Ambassador to the US, Michael (Mike) Herzog. She lives in Boston and serves as the AJC's National Deputy Director for Contemporary Jewish Life. Herzog monitors the educational materials at schools and universities in the US and has been seeing the anti-Israel-Zionist connection develop for years.

"The largest problem in the universities," she says, "is that many of the heads of the universities do not assume responsibility and fail to enforce their own rules for protecting the students against antisemitism. But this has gone way beyond protests and demonstrations – there are numerous places where they have not allowed Jewish students to join the student organizations." This sounds all too reminiscent of Vienna and Berlin in the pre-Second World War era. "This modern incarnation of antisemitism is new to many American Jews," says Alexandra, "the US is a country of idealism, and the Jews thought that they would be completely safe here. Now, all of a sudden, they understand that they are not as safe as they were." This is a double shock – it encompasses the threat against Israel, which was always perceived as a potential safe haven, and of course the feeling that the US itself is no longer as safe as they thought it was.

Part of the collapse of this perspective is now being manifested in the profound disappointment from the classic view of the liberal American Jews, that if they encourage education towards pluralism and forge ties with the open democratic circles, and that if in addition they can have an impact on Israel and make it more liberal, and then portray it as such, this would help the Jews in the US and around the world too. As part of this trend, about a year ago the organization sent a delegation to Ramallah, to become acquainted and connect with the Palestinian Authority. It didn't exactly work out, as is known, and as is clear to my interlocutor.

The very same disappointment was also the result of the efforts to forge ties with the large Hispanic community in the US, which encompasses more than 60 million Americans. The person in charge of this effort on behalf of the AJC, is Dina Siegel Vann, a native of Mexico City herself, who now resides in Washington and serves as the Director of the AJC's Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs. Dina invested considerable efforts in linking up with the Hispanic organizations, and even brought a delegation of Hispanic American leaders to visit Israel a year ago, among others, visiting the Gaza border communities. However, all of them disappeared following October 7 – not a single one of them stood beside Israel and the Jews, and their silence is deafening.

"We have changed since October 7," says Dina, "Our expectations have changed. We here at the AJC have always believed in the struggle for all the ethnic minorities, as indirectly this is something that should work for us too, but in hindsight, it now appears that this effort has not really worked at all. We are now shifting gears and revisiting our approach."

Daniel Schwammenthal, the Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute (TAI), the AJC's EU office in Brussels, is no stranger to antisemitism. As regards antisemitism, Daniel has the following to say: "The problem is that a new threat has emerged that goes beyond social media and terrorist threats, against which your government protects you, despite the severity that it entails. Now, as a Jew, you are threatened on the streets, on campus and at work, and antisemitism is being thrust in your face. Then add to this the fact that a number of governments, like the government in Belgium, are engaged in efforts to demonize the Jewish state, thus fanning the flames of antisemitism – and now the whole situation is simply intolerable."

An opening for hope

Born in Germany and now resident in Belgium, Daniel closely monitors the social and political trends in Europe with a sober perspective. He talks of the positive change that has occurred in recent years in Israels relationship with Europe, a marked improvement that simply collapsed several months after the outbreak of war, with a growing negative trend sweeping across European governments and the decisions of the prosecutor and the ICJ (International Court of Justice) in The Hague. In that context, the assessment is that the decline in support for Israel in Europe is the result of the Biden administration's disaffection and positively hostile relations with Israel in recent months. Since the White House began to accuse us of the indiscriminate bombing and killing of the innocent, some of our friends and allies in Europe have fallen in line with it.

However, Daniel believes that overall, the public in Europe is not against us, a claim that has gained support from the results of the elections to the European Parliament held last week, and the ensuing impressive rise in power of the right-wing parties in Europe. That rise in power is a positive sign for the Jews and for Israel, not to mention the reversal of concepts it entails, in which the global left has morphed into our antisemitic enemy, while the right, for the most part, has become the absolute opposite.

This paradox has been clearly reflected, for example, in the staunchly pro-Jewish and pro-Israeli state of Florida, where I flew immediately after the conference in Washington. In that spirit, a female Jewish student from Miami whom I met at the conference in Washington, testified that she has come across nothing in Florida of what has been threatening the majority of Jews in most other locations across the US. This is hardly surprising – as in those states with a palpably dominant support for the Republican Party, especially where strong Republican governors exist, such as Ron DeSantis in Florida, or Greg Abbott in Texas, the situation is completely different.

DeSantis – a sworn supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, crushed the initial appearance of the antisemitic demonstrations at USF (University of South Florida) in the city of Tampa with police officers firing rubber bullets and detaining 130 protesters. Abbott declared the demonstrators at UT-Austin (University of Texas) to be supporters of terrorism and in breach of the law, and he then sent the police to detain them and choke this nefarious protest the moment it began.

How unfortunate it is that precisely the classic approach that the majority of US Jews had opted for historically, with a view to establishing their rights as a minority, the approach of linking up with the democratic left wing, produced the opposite results. How uplifting it is to see that those people who have decided to stand by the Jews and Israel and have now become its champions, the defenders of the values of the enlightened world as a whole, are actually the conservative Republicans.

That dissonance and confusion are all too apparent among many of the people I spoke to; though, the contempt for and fear of Donald Trump in person, makes it difficult to arrive at any conclusions as to the impact on internal-US politics. A poll published by the AJC last week shows that still 61% of the Jews questioned intend to vote for President Joe Biden. This is a considerably lower percentage than those who voted for him in the previous US presidential elections – when 85% of the Jews in the US voted for him, and it is also important to point out that the poll was conducted in March-April, prior to the recent blunt manifestations of duplicity. But it is clear that the penny has yet to drop for many Jews.

There does actually appear to be a considerable degree of openness when it comes to Israel itself. I took part in a panel of Israeli journalists, in which I was the only one who issued a call to stop telling ourselves fairy tales about Palestinian partners and American magic solutions. I explained that the Palestinian national movement, including Mahmoud Abbas and his cronies, seeks to replace us and not stand by our side. The responses from the audience, which for years has been incited by the fake visions of Oslo and the Disengagement Plan, were actually quite supportive. A leader of a flourishing conservative community in Florida who took part in the conference, stopped me and avidly declared: "I agreed with every word you said, we really do need to adopt a different approach and to rethink it."

The new hope

On the way to the flight to the US, I came across a Jewish attorney from New York, who had just returned from a week of volunteer work in the Gaza border communities, and he had just come from a hard day's work painting houses that had been damaged. I met him once again at the conference in Washington and he was completely fired up to play his part in the Jewish-Israeli struggle. At breakfast, I spoke with a young female volunteer from the Bronx, New York, who was actively engaged in pro-Jewish activity, while her brother had just joined up to serve in the IDF that week, aspiring to serve in as elite combat unit as possible. On the conference's main stage, the senior speakers stressed and reiterated: "Now of all times, we are especially proud to be Jews," expressing their unwavering support for the State of Israel and standing by it.

In this spirit, the poll conducted by the organization has established the trend: 57% of the Jews questioned in the poll said that they feel more connected to Israel and their own Jewish identity, 17% said that they had begun to attend synagogue services since the Hamas attack. Just as has been the case in many periods throughout our long history, and one that has constantly been fraught with hardship, it is actually the rise in antisemitism and persecution that has sparked great determination to stand up to it – to reconnect with Jewish roots and the State of Israel.

Avital Leibovich, the Director of the AJC Israel office in Jerusalem, aptly summed up the situation: "There can be no doubts as to the strong desire of the Diaspora Jews for unity, with October 7 marking a new era for them, an era of proximity to the State of Israel coupled with a greatly enhanced sense of their Jewish identity, each individual acting in his or her own way." While the American actor, Michael Rapaport, who also appeared on the central stage, managed to sum up the basic message to all our enemies in a nutshell, with only two words: "Fuck them," duly earning rapturous applause from the crowd.

The post Unsafe haven: How Oct 7 changed the lives of US Jews appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Ukraine's ambassador to the United States was recognized on Tuesday as the American Jewish Committee brought back its annual tradition of hosting a diplomatic seder in Washington, DC.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The event featured a dinner, modeled as a mock Passover seder, which allowed the representatives of nearly 50 countries in attendance an opportunity to connect and talk about the histories of their nations and their relationship to the Jewish community.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander, co-senior rabbi at Addas Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Washington, DC, and the earliest speaker at the dinner, explained that the Passover story of degradation to emancipation plays itself out over and over around the world and in different cultures.

Throughout the dinner, the approximately 250 guests were invited to participate in various discussions on topics such as how and at what price their nations achieved freedom, led by leaders at each table and AJC Washington board members Adrianne Malasky and Adam Munitz.

The guests included ambassadors, embassy and consulate staff; US government officials; and AJC staff and volunteers. This year marked the first time the event was held since 2019.

Jason Isaacson, AJC's chief policy and political affairs officer, recalled the first AJC Diplomatic seder in a conference room of AJC's office and remarked how much it has grown into a tradition.
"In the course of the year, my colleagues and I have many opportunities to interact with the diplomatic community, in your capitals, ambassadors in ours and your US consulates, your UN missions. We come to you periodically with our concerns or observations, our appeals," said Isaacson. "On this night that we regard as different from all other nights, we try to interact in a different way and tell you a little about ourselves, our people's history, our first principles."

Isaacson said that this year's Passover, officially observed in April, came at a time of peril, where the Jewish community watched in horror the war crimes being committed in Ukraine by Russia in what he called an "unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," as well as the violence in Jerusalem and terrorist attacks in Israel.

But, he said, there was also hope over the "new flowering of outreach and cooperation between Israel and the Arab states," to which the AJC has contributed to over the past decades.

'We've fought and worked hard'

Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said the Passover story parallels Ukraine's experience – not only over the experience of the last 90 days since Russia invaded but throughout its history.

"The story of a hard road and fight for freedom during 40 years, for us, has been the same hard road for 400 years," she said.

Markarova added that the story of Jews and Ukrainians has not been known, as Ukraine has been viewed through the eyes of Russian propaganda, but that the Jewish community in the United States has always known the truth.

"We are the same family. I don't know any other place like Ukraine where for centuries we lived together," she said. "We lived through good times and through really bad times. We lived through so many tragedies in the previous century. And so many times before, we've said together 'Never Again.' And we've fought and worked hard – so, so hard, for never again to really be never again."

But she said that changed for Ukraine eight years ago when Russia annexed Crimea and supported the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as 90 days ago, when it began a "full-fledged war" in Ukraine, causing 6.5 million mostly women and children to flee the country, 8 million to relocate inside of Ukraine, and an additional more than 10 million people to live under constant shelling or Russian occupation.

"Unfortunately, the whole world saw what it means to live under Russian occupation," she said.

"It's even difficult to explain how human beings can do something like that to each other. But we've seen it before. We've seen in during World War II," she said. "Unfortunately, not a lot, not everything, not enough has been done after the previous victory to stop this hatred and to stop the ideas that lead to them."

This, she continued, is why it was so important to fight anti-Semitism. She outlined steps the Ukrainian government had taken before the war to combat anti-Semitism, including adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism last year, implementing it into legislation and introducing it into the country's criminal code.

She said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made fighting anti-Semitism a priority and that the Ukrainian people are learning lessons from their history, which was not always good, and making sure not to repeat mistakes.

She also talked about the destruction of cities, schools and hospitals in Ukraine, and the enormous loss of life. Despite this, she said, Ukraine will not surrender; that they will win.

Markarova said key ingredients in their fight against Russia have been the bravery of the Ukrainian people, the leadership of their president and the generosity of its allies, especially the United States – its people and government officials.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"I could make a whole speech talking about everyone who has been day and night working with us and working with other friends and allies to put this anti-war coalition together and help us with weapons, with support, with sanctions against Russia," said Markarova. "Now, of course, we need more. And when you hear me speak in public, this is the big part of every speech. And we always say that we appreciate it, but we need more because we're dealing with such a powerful enemy. But we need to win, and we know that America is with us."

Markarova expected to leave the event early but ended up staying the entirety of the dinner.

'The stakes seem so much higher now'
Alan Ronkin, regional director of AJC Washington, DC, whose office organized the dinner, recalled what he said at the last dinner shortly after the mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the mass shooting inside the Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., saying that it was not a time for business as usual.

"Little did any of us know how true those words were," he said.

Since that time, he said, the country and world have become more polarized, a war has erupted in Europe, and anti-Semitism has been on the rise in the United States and throughout the world.

"The stakes seem so much higher now," he said.

"Don't leave here tonight unmoved by the message of the urgency of freedom. The urgency to rid ourselves of bigotry and the urgency to come together and pluralism to preserve the values of our civilization," Ronkin said to conclude the dinner. "This isn't about platitudes about building a better world. This is literally about being able to tell our children and our grandchildren that we did not stand idly by as the world seemed to pull itself apart."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post At American Jewish Committee's diplomatic seder, Ukraine takes spotlight in fight for freedom appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) announced on Monday that it has appointed Jewish Democratic congressman and pro-Israel activist Ted Deutch as the organization's next chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2022.

"Rep. Deutch was unanimously selected by AJC's 28-member Executive Council, the organization's most senior lay body, following an extensive national search for a successor to AJC CEO David Harris, who has led the organization since 1990. Mr. Harris will remain AJC CEO until Rep. Deutch assumes the role, after which Mr. Harris will stay on as a consultant for one year to assist in a seamless transition," the AJC said in a statement.

AJC President Harriet P. Schleifer said, "Ted's deep and lifelong commitment to the Jewish community, Israel, and to the protection of democratic values is obvious to all who know him. His shared passion for AJC's mission and vision makes him a natural fit to advance our critical global work and to build on David Harris's extraordinary legacy."

Deutch said that he "couldn't be more excited to passionately lead AJC at this critical moment in history and feel immensely privileged to have the opportunity to build on the historic efforts and impact of David Harris, past and present AJC leaders, and the entire team at the organization, who are among the most dedicated professionals in the Jewish world."

Deutch and his wife of 30 years, Jill, have lived and worked in South Florida since 1998, where she is the Director of Development of Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach. Together, they have three children, Gabby, Serena, and Cole.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The post AJC taps Rep. Ted Deutch as new chief appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A new Arabic-language video about diversity and coexistence in Israel, produced as part of the American Jewish Committee's "An al-Yahud" (About the Jews) series, went live on Tuesday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The new animated short, Is Israel Only for Jews?, presents the reality of life in Israel. Although Jews make up a majority of Israel's citizens, approximately one out of every five Israelis is Arab, and all citizens are afforded the same rights and freedoms under the law. The government pays the salaries of imams and funds the construction of mosques in Israel, and Jerusalem is home to churches of almost every Christian denomination in the world. The film highlights the participation of Arab citizens in Israeli government, business, and academia and notes that while Israelis seldom agree on government policies, the right to protest and due process are ensured for all. The film is also being released in English.

"As the Arab world displays greater openness to Israel, it is important that perceptions of the Jewish state reflect its remarkable pluralism and diversity," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Israel is, at once, the homeland of the Jewish people and a thriving democracy that is home to more than 1.8 million Arab citizens, all of whom enjoy equal rights and freedoms.

While Is Israel Only for Jews? does not focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it acknowledges that the conflict "requires meaningful and lasting resolution," while challenging the notion common in the Arab world that Israelis are all Jewish or that Arabs in the Jewish state are oppressed. The film acknowledges inequalities and outstanding social challenges within Israel.

"The barriers to peace between Israel and the Palestinians are political, not religious or ethnic," added Harris. "Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze, Bahai, and people of other faiths live, work, and worship freely in the Jewish state, and Arab Israelis are prominent leaders in government, business, national defense, and many other fields. We hope this new film will help promote Arab-Israeli peace by upending stereotypes about Israel and fostering greater understanding of the Jewish state throughout the Arab world."

The "An al-Yahud" series has been viewed by tens of millions of Arabic speakers around the world. The top locations of the videos' viewers include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The previous five videos focused on the origins and beliefs of the Jewish people, the history of Muslim-Jewish relations, the Holocaust, Jewish ties to Jerusalem, and the antisemitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Along with the Arabic video series, the ACJ has launched launched Arabic-language social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, which to date have drawn more than 600,000 followers. Encouraged by this success, the global Jewish advocacy group recently launched AJC Farsi, a new social media effort to reach Iranians in Iran and around the world.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Arabic-language video challenges anti-Israel views appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO David Harris will step down from his position in May 2022, after over 30 years as  head of the organization, Harris announced Thursday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"I was given the honor of a lifetime when AJC invited me to become the CEO in 1990, having first joined the staff in 1979. Since then, I have been blessed with the best job imaginable, including the invaluable support of so many dedicated lay leaders and talented staff colleagues. Every single day, I have been grateful beyond words for the opportunity to pursue my lifelong mission – to assist Jews in danger worldwide, support Israel's quest for peace and security, combat antisemitism, and defend democratic values against the radical right and the totalitarian left," Harris said.

"Now, after more than three decades, I believe it's time to pass the baton to a successor, as our Jewish story, I've always thought, is a kind of relay race. That will happen in May 2022, at the next AJC Global Forum in Washington, DC."

"When the successor is selected, s/he will have my full support and cooperation to ensure AJC continues to be the preeminent global Jewish advocacy organization. To that end, I will be readily available for the following year as a consultant on the transition. In these unsettling times for the Jewish people, AJC's 115 years of front-line experience, record of tangible success, unparalleled access to the halls of power, and strict nonpartisanship are as vital as ever. And for the next nearly one year, I will be devoting every ounce of intellectual, emotional, and physical energy to AJC's programmatic and institutional priorities, as I have tried to do since that first moment in 1990. What an extraordinary journey it's been!"

In a letter to AJC's leadership, AJC President Harriet P. Schleifer wrote, "For the past 31 years as CEO, David has built AJC into the leading global Jewish advocacy organization it is today. A tireless visionary and a passionate advocate for world Jewry, the State of Israel, and democratic values, David's leadership has been a gift to AJC and to the Jewish people."

Building upon Harris's extraordinary tenure, AJC's Succession Committee, led by Schleifer and AJC Honorary President John Shapiro, in conjunction with AJC's Executive Council, and supported by international executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, is seeking a visionary leader who will set the course for the next era of Jewish advocacy.

Harris will continue to lead AJC through May 2022, following which he will stay on as consultant to the transition through June 2023.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post AJC head David Harris stepping down after over 30 years   appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

To expand American Jewish Committee's (AJC's) reach to audiences in the Middle East, the global advocacy organization has launched AJC Farsi, with Persian-language social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"The intersection of my Iranian, American, and Jewish identities makes me particularly proud to make this exciting announcement," Saba Soomekh, Associate Director of AJC Los Angeles, told the 2021 Virtual AJC Global Forum's worldwide audience. "AJC Farsi will bolster our efforts to reach Iranians in Iran and diaspora communities in the United States and around the world."

AJC Farsi builds on the enormous success of AJC Arabic's social media accounts and the An Al Yahud (About the Jews) video series, which are aimed at increasing understanding of the Jewish people in the Arab world.

Now AJC is turning to online Persian communities. "The Iranian Jewish community is the oldest in the Diaspora, going back 2700 years," said Soomekh.

Born in Tehran, her family fled Iran and came to the United States in 1978. "My family realized our modern and secular country was regressing back to persecuting religious minorities under what would become the Islamic revolution. We knew we had to leave Iran to live a life free of antisemitism."

While AJC is profoundly concerned about the Iranian regime's malign nuclear activities, suppression of human rights, and sponsorship of terror around the world, it recognizes that the Iranian people are not the regime. "We know the Jewish people and the Iranian people have much in common," added Soomekh.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post In far-seeing move, AJC reaches out to Iranians worldwide – in Farsi appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Addressing the complex reality created by the coronavirus pandemic, Gargash said, "The pandemic will not change the fundamentals of regional politics." He added that the experience of international cooperation to combat the pandemic opened opportunities to de-escalate tensions and resolve conflicts through diplomacy, referring specifically to the threats posed by Iran and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Gargash expressed the pragmatism of UAE foreign policy when he said "I think we can have a political disagreement with Israel and try to bridge other differences.

Alexandros Diakopoulos, Greek National Security Advisor, tells @MatthiasInbar that if Greece capitulates and is put in a corner, Turkey will be a bigger threat to Israel than Iran.

Full interview on 'Strictly Security', Saturday at 7 pm EST pic.twitter.com/otN7CddhkY

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 16, 2020

"We have no relationship with Israel, but the pandemic is an area where we have to cooperate together because it affects human beings," the minister said.

However, cooperating with Israel to send aid to the Palestinians via the UN did not change the UAE's position on Israel's "annexation" plan.

Gargash also noted that the UAE was not breaking any new ground in engaging with Israel.

"The reality is you have major countries in the region that have normal diplomatic relations with Israel – Turkey, Egypt, Jordan – and other countries in the Gulf area dealing with Israel in various capacities," he said.

The minister of state for foreign affairs underscored that the UAE was a partner in the Arab consensus that backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including direct bilateral negotiations for a peace agreement.

Touching on the UAE's ties with the US, Gargash said that regardless of who was president, it was important to keep the US involved in the region. He stressed that the UAE does not want the US involved in another war in the Middle East, but that he does see the Americans as a deterrent against threats like Iran, and a major help in keeping sea lanes open and oil flowing

"America is our main and most important strategic ally. We want to see America engaged in the region. When the US is engaged, we are better," he said. 

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post 'The UAE can work with Israel, despite disagreements' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.