AJC Delegation Visits Israel, Meets Israeli Prime Minister

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Mar 17, 2016, 01:50 ET

JERUSALEM, March 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An AJC leadership delegation has concluded a two-day visit to Israel.

AJC President Stanley Bergman and Chief Executive Officer David Harris led the group. Their visit was highlighted by a private, hour-long meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The delegation also met with, among others, Director General of the Foreign Ministry Dore Gold; Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs, and Information Gilad Erdan; EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Fernando Gentilini; and the ambassadors of Cyprus and Egypt to Israel.

Among the principal topics of discussion were: (i) exploring Israel's geopolitical opportunities and challenges in an increasingly turbulent Middle East, as well as their potential implications for advancing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; (ii) deepening ties between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, especially the American Jewish community; and (iii) assessing Israel's growing list of openings for strategic and economic cooperation in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

"We visited Israel to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation faced by the Jewish state," said Harris. "Against the backdrop of rising turmoil and instability in the Middle East, Israel has continued to break new ground in numerous spheres -- economic, political, cultural, strategic, and technological -- with countries across the globe. As Prime Minister Netanyahu noted, Israel today has bilateral relations with more countries than ever, many of whom are eager to deepen their cooperation in a variety of fields."

Lt. Col. (Res.) Avital Leibovich, Director of AJC Jerusalem, who also joined the leadership delegation, coordinated the visit.

AJC was the first American Jewish organization, more than a half-century ago, to establish a permanent presence in Israel. Housed in Beit Moses, AJC Jerusalem regularly engages with Israeli government officials and society, as well as diplomatic representatives of scores of foreign countries.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee