A roundup of the most powerful moments from AJC’s historic Virtual Global Forum.

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We had planned to be in Berlin this month, holding AJC Global Forum on European soil and commemorating 75 years since the end of World War II. The pandemic crisis forced us to change those plans. And so, for the first time ever, AJC took its premier global Jewish advocacy gathering online, holding a Virtual Global Forum from June 14-18. More than 8,000 people registered to hear from global leaders and issue experts on the most pressing issues facing America, Israel, the Jewish people, and the world. Over the course of five days, we drew international attention, capturing headlines in leading news outlets, generating robust online discussions, and making our positions known to policymakers who joined us from around the world to hear what AJC—and our advocates—had to say. Read on for a roundup of the most powerful moments from this historic event. You can also watch the highlights video here. [link removed]

Help AJC build on the momentum from Virtual Global Forum. Please consider supporting AJC’s work so we can continue to build a world in which the Jewish people—and all people—can live openly, safely, and without fear. [link removed] [link removed]  

History was made at AJC Virtual Global Forum when United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash joined AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson for a public dialogue. The presence of a senior Arab government official before a global Jewish organization was monumental in and of itself, but his remarks on the wrongheadedness of isolating Israel and the necessity of communication and cooperation with the Jewish state were striking. “I think we can have a political disagreement with Israel and try to bridge other differences,” Dr. Gargash said, noting AJC “has been a quite remarkable bridge for the region.” The landmark conversation drew headlines worldwide, including in The New York Times [link removed]. The dialogue builds on AJC’s decades of diplomacy in the Gulf region and marks a significant step in strengthening its regional relationships. See more. [link removed]

Following Virtual Global Forum, AJC’s Jason Isaacson reflected on this groundbreaking dialogue in The Arab Weekly [link removed]. [link removed]  

Addressing AJC Virtual Global Forum attendees, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed the importance of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, noting that “the United States will always support Israel’s right to defend itself. Anti-Zionism is indeed antisemitism.” Pompeo also cautioned Iran against threatening Israel and condemned rising antisemitism worldwide. In his address, he praised AJC for its leadership in combating anti-Jewish hate, highlighting our work confronting the BDS Movement and pushing for the adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. See more. [link removed] [link removed]  

Benjamin (Benny) Gantz, Israel’s Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister, joined AJC Virtual Global Forum to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish state. Gantz hailed the strong U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship that is “based on shared values [and] shared interests.” He stressed that “bipartisan support from the U.S. to Israel should be strengthened and we should not take it for granted.” He also thanked AJC and its supporters for being “an important strategic partner of the State of Israel.” See more. [link removed] [link removed]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel [link removed] was set to be our host for AJC Global Forum in Berlin. After the health crisis upended our plans, she welcomed thousands of online viewers to Virtual Global Forum instead. Merkel spoke of Germany’s unique “responsibility to take resolute action against antisemitism in all its forms.” “I see this as part of our national ethos,” she added. “Part of our responsibility involves standing up for Israel’s security. That is nonnegotiable." She thanked AJC for being the first Jewish organization to engage postwar Germany and said that “it is good to know that we can count on strong partners like those we find in AJC.” In the subsequent days of Virtual Global Forum, we were also joined by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [link removed] and German Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer [link removed]. See more. [link removed]

Learn more about AJC’s pioneering relations with Germany over the past seven decades in our new e-book [link removed] or by viewing the highlights in this timeline [link removed]. [link removed]

AJC is determined to write a new chapter in Muslim-Jewish relations in the 21st century. The AJC Virtual Global Forum address delivered by Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, was another important step forward. Earlier this year, Dr. Al-Issa and AJC CEO David Harris led an interfaith mission to Auschwitz-Birkenau [link removed]. Dr. Al-Issa brought with him 62 prominent Islamic scholars from 28 countries—the most senior Islamic leadership delegation ever to visit a Nazi death camp. This is part of a commitment to strengthen Muslim-Jewish understanding and Dr. Al-Issa commended AJC for its integral role in this endeavor. At Virtual Global Forum, Dr. Al-Issa stated that the lessons of the Holocaust must be applied to confronting extremists today: “Just as the forces of good stood shoulder to shoulder against evil on battlefields across Europe so many years ago, we now must unite against those who promote hatred and intolerance today. Together, we are fighting to create a better, more equal world in which there is no place for antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of prejudice.” See more. [link removed] [link removed]

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke out against antisemitism and expressed his commitment to strong Greece-Israel ties. Mitsotakis, whose father established diplomatic relations with Israel when he was prime minister in 1990, said, “It is easy for us to explain why Israel is on the right side of history. You can always count on our support as an ally." He also hailed the strategic partnership between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus—a relationship that AJC was instrumental in cultivating. See more. [link removed] [link removed]   Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama spoke movingly about his country's protection of Jews during the Holocaust—a remarkable story of humanity that remains largely unknown. He stressed the importance of remembering the Shoah and the need to speak out against “the new wave of antisemitism.” Rama also praised Albania’s strong bilateral partnership with Israel, calling the Jewish state “a shining example of a country that has made a miracle.” See more. [link removed] [link removed]

In an era of political polarization, AJC offers a rare space to debate the issues seriously yet civilly. During Virtual Global Forum, we held three substantive and spirited debates. First, former ACLU President and free speech advocate Nadine Strossen squared off against prominent jurist Dan Shefet on the question of whether hate speech should be limited. Next, a lively debate took place between Member of Knesset Merav Michaeli and veteran Israeli diplomat Ambassador Dore Gold on the future of the West Bank. Finally, two foreign policy heavyweights—Antony Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, and KT McFarland, past Deputy National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump—presented competing perspectives on the United State’s future role in the world. Watch the hate speech debate. [link removed] | Watch the West Bank debate. [link removed] | Watch the American foreign policy debate. [link removed] [link removed]

Addressing AJC Virtual Global Forum, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) declared that “silence is complicity” when fighting for racial equality and combating assaults on Blacks and Jews in America. Booker discussed longstanding issues that have risen to the surface after the killing of George Floyd. He stressed the importance of Black-Jewish cooperation in tackling these challenges and commended AJC for serving as an “extraordinary champion for justice.” See more. [link removed] [link removed]

To mark 75 years after the end of the Holocaust, survivors, their children, and their grandchildren had hoped to open a new chapter with Germany at AJC Global Forum in Berlin. Despite the cancellation of the in-person event, these AJC leaders and staff shared why they fight to end antisemitism and protect Israel. Each reflection framed a program during Virtual Global Forum, reminding us that, regardless of our progress, we must never forget the past. Hear their stories. [link removed] [link removed]   AJC CEO David Harris closed out Virtual Global Forum with a powerful call-to-action. He warned that democracy must never be taken for granted; it “needs to be vigorously defended each and every day.” AJC is the most sophisticated vehicle to confront the challenges, he said. Reaffirming AJC’s longstanding commitment to combat racism and promote pluralism, Harris announced the opening of new regional offices [link removed] in Minneapolis-St. Paul, in memory of George Floyd, and Louisville, in memory of Breonna Taylor. See more. [link removed] [link removed]

The inspirational speeches, important debates, and historic moments from AJC Virtual Global Forum make clear what is at stake for the Jewish people and the world—and why AJC’s work is more important than ever. With your help, we can do even more to fight antisemitism and hate, stand up for Israel, and defend the values that unite us all. Can we count on your support? [link removed] What next? Virtual Global Forum may have concluded, but AJC is still bringing you top-notch content and advocacy opportunities. Join us for an upcoming Advocacy Anywhere webinar, so you can be part of important conversations with leading diplomats, political and religious figures, and policy analysts. Register here. [link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed]

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