Former American Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk outlined diplomatic efforts over the past two decades that have failed to produce an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Speaking to a standing room only crowd at the AJC/World Affairs Council Houston program, he said Israeli and American administrations have two to three years to try to accomplish a treaty due to the nature of our government election cycles. While the two countries watch the clock, he said, Arab leaders do not worry about time as they are securely entrenched in their leadership. Indyk stated in the evening program that Arab leaders prefer the status quo, but engage in lip service for the Palestinians because of a need to appease the grassroot citizenry in their respective countries. The program was part of AJC's Crucial Issues Series, chaired by Reva Edison.
Speaking to nearly half of Houston's diplomatic corps the next day, the Ambassador said when America's diplomatic efforts were focused on a Palestinian track if resulted in the Israelis negotiating an agreement with Egypt, and then with Jordan. In taking questions from the diplomats, he said that Syria will play an important role in the negotiation process. He added that in his recent conversations with Likud's Binyamin Netanyahu and Labor's Ehud Barak, they both have learned from the mistake of not forming a unity government when they were previously Israel's prime minister.
Terrorist infiltration into Latin America up next for Crucial Issues
Middle East terrorist infiltration into Latin America will be the focus of journalist Doug Farah's briefing on Wed., March 4 at the Omni Hotel. The Chapter program, held with World Affairs Council Houston, features the former Washington Post journalist who covered Latin America and Africa. Farah briefs the military and intelligence communities on Latin America.
NEW VIDEO: Turkey, Israel and American Jews
Prime Minister Erdogan's recent statements have caused rising anxiety in the Turkish Jewish community. AJC, in daily contact with Turkish Jewish leaders, has reacted strongly, criticizing Erdogan while expressing hope for a restored spirit of cooperation between Turkey and Israel. David Harris, who wrote a letter to Erdogan in his Jerusalem Post
blog, discusses the current crisis in Turkey's relations with American Jews and Israel.
VIEW. The video is the latest in a series of timely pieces produced in the AJC Studio.
Turkish Prime Minister's Shameful Outburst
"Prime Minister Erdogan's tantrum at Davos throws gasoline on the fire of surging anti-Semitism," said AJC, after he verbally assaulted fellow panelist Israeli President Shimon Peres. "When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill," Erdogan yelled at Peres during a panel on Gaza at the World Economic Forum. Erdogan then stormed off the stage and flew back to a hero's welcome in Turkey. AJC called Erdogan's outburst "a public disgrace that may well encourage further outrages against Israel and Jews."
Anti-Semitism in Venezuela
AJC's Latino and Latin American Institute was in direct contact with the president of the Confederación de Asociaciones Israelitas de Venezuela (CAIV), the Jewish community's umbrella organization and one of AJC's international partners, after a brazen attack on a synagogue last Shabbat. "There are strong indications that what we are witnessing is a state-sponsored campaign of anti-Semitic persecution, spurred by both Venezuela's alliance with the Iranian regime and the surge of anti-Israel rhetoric during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas," said AJC. David Harris addressed a large rally in support of Venezuelan Jewry outside the Venezuelan Consulate in New York on Monday.
Vatican's Welcome Statement on Holocaust Denier Bishop
AJC applauded today's statement from the Vatican demanding that Bishop Richard Williamson "absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself" from his advocacy of Holocaust denial. "This is what we were asking for - an unequivocal repudiation of Williamson's odious opinions and all such forms of anti-Semitism," said Rabbi David Rosen, AJC's International Director of Interreligious Affairs.
READ STATEMENT. AJC Houston Chapter made one of the very first contacts with the Catholic Church in the U.S. on this issue, holding a discussion with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo when the Pope lifted the Bishop's excommunication.
AJC Washington Hosts EU Ambassadors Panel
A forum on EU Foreign Policy Priorities at AJC's Washington Office featured Ambassador Pierre Vimont of France, holder of the previous EU Presidency, and Ambassador Petr Kolar of the Czech Republic, holder of the current EU Presidency. More than 60 government officials, ambassadors and other diplomats joined the discussion on U.S.-EU relations, the Gaza conflict, Middle East peace, and Iran's nuclear program. Jason Isaacson, AJC's director of government and international affairs, was the moderator.
Top South African Official Smears Jews
A statement by a top South African official that "the control of America...is in the hands of Jewish money" prompted a letter expressing alarm to South African President Kgalema Motlanthe. The language used by Deputy Foreign Minister Fatima Hajaig recalls "the worst calumnies visited upon Jews over the centuries," wrote Stanley Bergman, chair of AJC's Africa Institute. One of those verbally attacked by the official was Israel's Ambassador to South Africa, Dov Steinberg. Steinberg served as the Israeli Consul in Houston in the 1990s.
February 6, 2009
