AJC Delegation Meets European leaders in Belgium and Netherlands
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Press Release)– An American Jewish Committee leadership delegation just concluded a three-day visit to Brussels.
The trip was highlighted by private meetings with:
* Frans Timmermans, First Vice President of the European Commission;
* Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
* Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers, and Gender Equality;
* Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS);
* Katharina von Schnurbein, EU Coordinator for Combating anti-Semitism;
* and a private dinner with Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for Migration, Citizenship, and Home Affairs.
The group also met with other key EU and Belgian officials, including Saad Amrani, Chief Commissioner at the Brussels Police Department and Strategic Advisor to the Commissioner General of the Federal Police; Yngvild Ingels, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs; Israeli Ambassador to the EU Aharon Leshno-Yaar; and Members of the European Parliament.
Prior to arriving in Brussels, the delegation visited Amsterdam and The Hague, where they had meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Criminal Court, and Europol, as well as with Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Aviv Shir-On, leaders of the Dutch Jewish community, Dutch Union of Jewish Students, and the National Holocaust Museum, and several journalists.
Among the principal topics discussed during the two country visits were: (a) EU-U.S. relations in the wake of the U.S. Presidential election results; (b) Europe’s migration and integration policies; (c) the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) consideration next month of a working definition on anti-Semitism; (d) Europol’s relationship with Israel; (e) EU listing of Hezbollah in its entirety, as opposed to just its “military” wing, as a terrorist group; and (f) the growing strength of populist movements in Europe.
“Our timing could not have been more propitious,” said AJC CEO David Harris, who was making his fourth trip to Brussels this year. “Our European friends were largely caught off-guard by the American election results, and were eager to discuss their potential meaning for transatlantic relations, NATO, the Middle East, and other areas of common concern. For AJC, which is profoundly committed to U.S.-European cooperation, as a pillar of American foreign policy, our in-depth conversations with long-standing friends could not have been more important and relevant.”
The meetings were organized by AJC’s Transatlantic Institute (TAI) and attended by members of its board. TAI, based in Brussels and founded in 2004 through the generosity of Rhoda and the late Jordan Baruch, is chaired by Robert Elman, AJC’s National President from 2010 to 2013, and directed by Daniel Schwammenthal.
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Conference beginning today marks 20th anniversary of E. David Fischman Scholarship
In commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the E. David Fischman Scholarship, past recipients of the award and Israeli civic leaders will gather in Jerusalem on November 17 for a conference to offer tribute to the memory of its founder.
David Fischman died in 1995 with no direct descendants, losing his only daughter and his wife in the Holocaust. After arriving in the U.S. in 1949 with little to his name, he quietly built a successful real estate investment company leaving him with ample wealth at the time of his death.
Fischman chose to direct the majority of his assets for the creation of a scholarship fund specifically intended to benefit accomplished Israeli scholars looking to pursue doctorate programs in the United States.
Since its launch, the program has already given out $3,050,000 in scholarships to 71 recipients – including many who are helping to shape the future of Israel and the world at large. The scholarship is specifically designated for students pursuing doctorates in the fields of political science, law and economics.
In an effort to combat the so-called “brain drain” which has sapped Israel of many of its leading minds in recent years, the Fischman Scholarship specifically delineates that recipients must return to Israel after completion of their studies in the US and remain in the country for at least five years. The scholarships, which are allocated based on specific needs of the applicant can range from tens of thousands of dollars to the hundreds of thousands in some cases, and have been applied to institutions including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UC Berkley, New York University and others.
Fischman was a long-time resident of the St. Paul, Minnesota area, and the schlolarship is administered by the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul. Dan Mogelson, who serves as the director of the E. David Fischman Scholarship on behalf of the Federation said, “Through the immense generosity of Mr. Fischman, over seventy aspiring Israeli scholars have been given the resources to pursue doctorate studies at some of America’s top academic institutions,” he said. “As a result of the millions of dollars that came from this single mans’ vision, he has helped foster the next generation of Israeli civic leaders.”
Among the recipients of the scholarship are numerous highly accomplished Israeli scholars including judges, senior legal advisors to Government Ministries and the IDF and professors in Israeli universities.
“Mr. Fischman experienced the very worst of what man can do to fellow man and witnessed firsthand the devastation of European Jewry,” Mogelson said. “After being able to quietly build a new life for himself, he was committed that his legacy would be applied to creating a better future for the Jewish State and that is what this program has achieved.”
While over three million dollars has already been delivered, the scholarship’s organizers say that considerable funds remain available for suitable candidates who meet the terms of the program and plan to pursue doctorate degrees in the coming years.
The Conference will take place at the Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem on November 17th and 18th. Included will be presentations from past recipients and Mr. Fischman’s rabbi and friend, Rabbi Morris Allen, addresses from former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and former Israel Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor and a Gala Dinner.
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AJC issues a statement of principles and vision
NEW YORK (Press Release) — American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris on Thursday, Nov. 17, issued a statement reaffirming the global Jewish advocacy organization’s principles and vision for America.
The full statement follows:
In the wake of the U.S. Presidential election, and on the eve of Thanksgiving, it’s important to reaffirm what we, at AJC, stand for.
We cherish our great nation and the unprecedented freedom and opportunity it affords, including the precious right to vote, free and fair elections, and smooth transfers of power from one administration to another.
We take special pride in the American motto “E pluribus unum.” Indeed, at AJC, we are, and have always been, passionate pluralists. The strength of our nation derives in such large measure from its rich tapestry of racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
We aspire to live in a society which doesn’t simply “tolerate” diversity, but welcomes it, seeing it as a vital component of who we are as a nation.
We seek in our relations with other communities to enhance mutual respect and understanding, and to build coalitions of conscience in defense of shared values.
We fully understand that election periods often divide our nation. Post-election periods should be devoted to uniting us. Presidential candidates may be elected by half the population, but, once chosen, they represent the entire country.
Campaigns frequently generate rhetoric that sounds appealing to some voters, but, in reality, are little more than unexamined sound bites and crowd pleasers. History has shown that not all pledges made in the heat of a tight race turn into policy. This has been true of both Democratic and Republican winners. We need, therefore, to understand how a successful candidate plans to govern before making sweeping judgments based largely, or even exclusively, on the language of the primary and electoral periods.
President Obama recently said: “It’s important for us to let [President-elect Trump] make his decisions. The American people will judge over the course of the next couple of years whether they like what they see.” We agree with this approach. We may or may not respond well to each appointment, but we proceed in the belief, at the start, that the President will shape the direction of our nation — and those who work for him must follow his lead.
At the same time, nominations and appointments send signals, all the more so when there is still considerable uncertainty, because of no prior governing experience in the case of President-elect Trump, about our country’s course following the inauguration on January 20th. We especially urge President-elect Trump to take into account the concerns of many members of minority communities, who are understandably alarmed about the polarizing, even incendiary, rhetoric used by some in the recent campaign. We respectfully urge him to find early opportunities, both in words and deeds, to stress his commitment to the well-being and protection of all our nation’s citizens.
We are strong believers in America’s international engagement. While it may be tempting for some to call for retreat from the international stage, history has amply shown the high cost of such views. When America looks inward, huge vacuums are created internationally, which other state and non-state actors, whose values and goals are often diametrically opposed to ours, step in. We must not let this happen.
Particularly important, in our view, is the reaffirmation of our nation’s commitment to our allies and treaty obligations, beginning with our most natural partners — other democratic, like-minded nations on every continent, as well as the unique political structure of the European Union and security architecture of NATO.
In this spirit, we believe that the U.S.-Israel relationship embodies America’s highest values, as well as the promotion of our vital interests in the Middle East. And Israel’s neighbors and peace partners, Egypt and Jordan, are also among our essential partners in the region, as are America’s allies and Israel’s future peace partners in the Arabian Gulf and North Africa.
We have long supported Israel’s age-old aspirations for enduring peace with all its neighbors, beginning with the Palestinians, and the indispensable role of the United States in the quest for such an accord. Time and again, Israel has been confronted with rejection, incitement, and attempted delegitimization. We long for the day when the Palestinians will extend an outstretched hand of peace, and we urge Israel and the new U.S. Administration not to lose sight of such a possibility — and the two-state agreement that would result.
We have always been optimistic about the promise of America. We have always believed in America’s resilience and regenerative power. We have always advocated for an America that stands for protection of human dignity. And we have always contended that America’s unique place in the world is built on the strength of our values as much as the strength of our military and economy.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, a particularly meaningful holiday for all of us, we give thanks, as always, for the gift of America in our lives.
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ADL offers recommendations to combat online hate
NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Task Force on Harassment and Journalism on Thursday, Nov. 17, issued a broad set of recommendations to reverse a surge in harassment on social media and other online channels. The recommendations follow ADL’s four-month investigation into the harassment of journalists on Twitter, which concluded with an Oct. 19 report detailing a troubling, year-long rise in anti-Semitic hate against reporters from all sides of the political spectrum during the presidential campaign.
The Task Force recommends 25 separate actions that industry, policymakers and the government, the legal community, journalists, and the public can take to combat online hate. These include technical changes to make reporting hate speech and abuse easier for victims and witnesses; more concerted collaboration between social media and online platforms to stop the harassment; a government study to determine the full scope of cyberhate affecting society; and new laws to cover cyber threats and make illegal new types of online abuse – which include practices that extend threats into the physical world.
“We all have a collective obligation to confront online hate, and we must do so urgently. It’s normalizing anti-Semitism, hate and prejudice, and fracturing our society in a way that is unsustainable,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s CEO and National Director. “We must do everything we can to ensure that the Internet remains a medium of free and open communication for all people. We look forward to working with the social media platforms, policymakers, and others to implement these recommendations as quickly as possible.”
Half of the recommendations are for industry. It’s noteworthy that this week Twitter announced changes to its platform, reporting and enforcement that are consistent with what the Task Force is recommending.
Danielle Citron, Professor of Law at the University of Maryland and member of the Task Force added, “The ADL Task Force lays out important suggestions for platforms that harmonize with their commitment to free expression. It wisely offers strategies for enhancing the transparency and fairness of the reporting process, expanding opportunities for bystanders to assist victims, and building anti-harassment tools into platforms.”
ADL has been tracking, exposing, and responding to hate on the Internet since 1985. It works with all the major social media platforms and law enforcement, among others.
For years, ADL has convened a working group on cyberhate that includes tech companies, academics, and other leaders. With Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo, and YouTube, ADL created best practices to counter online hate that have been guiding the industry since 2014.
“This important ADL report highlights the need for a collective, collaborative response to online harassment and offers very useful, practical recommendations,” said Christopher Wolf, an attorney and chair of ADL’s Internet Task Force. “It also underscores that only by working together can the industry, users, lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and other stakeholders address the growing challenge effectively.”
The members of the Task Force are Citron; Steve Coll, Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; Todd Gitlin, Professor and Chair, Ph.D. Program, Columbia Journalism School; Brad Hamm, Dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University; Shawn Henry, retired Executive Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bethany Mandel, New York Post; Jay Michaelson, columnist at The Daily Beast and Contributing Editor at the Forward; Leon Wieseltier, Contributing Editor at The Atlantic and Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow in Culture and Policy at The Brookings Institution; and Wolf, one of the leading practitioners of internet law in the United States.
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Preceding culled from news releases sent to the San Diego Jewish World offices.