U.S. Spanish-Language Media Elites in Israel with AJC's Project Interchange

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Apr 27, 2015, 05:21 ET

JERUSALEM, April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A delegation of influential Latino journalists based in Miami, an important hub to Latin America and the Latino community, is currently in Israel with Project Interchange, an educational institute of AJC (American Jewish Committee). Participants will learn first-hand about Israeli politics, society and diversity, as well as the country's technological innovation and the geopolitical challenges facing the region.

This impressive delegation of Spanish-language media elites is being conducted in collaboration with AJC's Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA). To ascertain a first-hand understanding of the challenges, accomplishments and complex issues of the region, the news anchors and journalists will interact with a diverse range of Israeli, Israeli-Arab and Palestinian experts.

As with all Project Interchange delegations, participants will explore various aspects of Israel, including its start-up economy, its democratic process and its political and societal diversity. Meetings with members of the Knesset (Israel's Parliament), Palestinian leaders, and academic elites, along with visits to historic, religious and strategic locations, will provide the delegation a first-hand look at the country and an opportunity to understand situations that regularly appear in the news.

The influence and prominence of Hispanic media in the U.S. continues to reach new heights; Univision TV is now ranked the fifth-largest network, reaching 94 million households across the country. Additionally, the participants from Miami's Latino community, which accounts for 65 percent of the city, are eager to meet with their counterparts, explore areas of commonality, and share in best practices. This delegation will explore the strong, important, and ever-growing relationship between the Latino and Jewish communities and areas for continued collaboration.

Journalists in this delegation have greatly contributed to the field of broadcast and print media, with many anchoring their own radio and TV shows, including garnering six Emmy® awards and 17 nominations.

Robin Levenston, Project Interchange Executive Director, said, "Project Interchange has a long and proud history of taking senior Latino opinion leaders to Israel. The bridges between the Latino and Jewish communities are growing stronger every day. It is our hope that participants will gain a greater understanding of Israel's diversity, politics and entrepreneurial landscape, and forge new relationships towards future collaboration."

This initiative was made possible through the leadership and support of AJC's Latin American Task Force-Miami. The Project Interchange delegation is accompanied by Juan Dircie, Associate Director-Miami, AJC's Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, and includes the following media outlets and media related institutions: Actualidad Radio, Diario las Américas, EFE News, Radio Caracol, Univision Network, and VOXXI.

AJC's Project Interchange
For over 30 years, Project Interchange, a nonprofit educational institute of AJC (American Jewish Committee) has brought over 6,000 influential figures to Israel from 85 countries and all 50 U.S. states, offering them broad exposure and firsthand understanding of the complex issues facing Israel and the region. For more, visit projectinterchange.org

AJC's Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA)
AJC's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs has long been at the forefront of Jewish organizations working to establish and strengthen ties to the increasingly influential countries of Latin America and with the large U.S. Latino community. The Institute partners with local Jewish communities throughout Latin America and engages the diplomatic representatives of Latin American countries in the United States to advance relations among Latin America, the United States and Israel.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee