This week on AJC Passport, Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL), the Democratic co-sponsor of the anti-BDS bill recently passed by the House, discusses President Trump’s characterization of Jewish Democrats as "disloyal," as well the controversial move by the Israeli government to bar Reps. Omar and Tlaib from entering Israel. We also sat down with Dr. Kurt Graham, director of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, to discuss President Truman’s role in the birth of Israel in 1948.
Aug 23, 2019•41 min
On Thursday morning, Israel decided to bar two U.S. congresswomen, Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, from entering the country due to their support for the anti-Israel boycott movement. We sat down with AJC CEO David Harris shortly after the news broke to discuss the short- and long-term implications of this decision. We were then joined by Senator Ben Allen, who chairs the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, to discuss the high-profile controversy surrounding the state’s proposed Ethnic Stu...
Aug 16, 2019•31 min
Dr. Steven Bayme, AJC’s Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, recently returned from a fact-finding mission in Israel. He sat down with us to share what he learned on his trip and to discuss the current state of Israel-Diaspora relations. Then on “The Battle for Balfour,” we are joined by Benjy Rogers, AJC Associate Director for Policy and Middle East Initiatives, to discuss the latest political developments in Israel ahead of the September 17 national election.
Aug 09, 2019•39 min
This week on AJC Passport, Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins us to discuss how the cooperation among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, with support from the U.S., has the power to project stability and democratic values throughout the Middle East and strengthen Israel’s maritime border with the Mediterranean. Then AJC’s Political Outreach Director Julie Fishman Rayman comes on to break down this week’s Democratic presidential debates.
Aug 01, 2019•46 min
This week on AJC Passport, Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, joins us to discuss her most recent trip to Buenos Aires to mark the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) building and to update us on recent developments in Argentina’s approach to Hezbollah, the terrorist group that carried out the attack. Then, JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas joins us to break down rec...
Jul 26, 2019•32 min
Earlier this week, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson addressed the U.S. Department of Justice Summit on Combating Antisemitism. He sat down with us on AJC Passport to share an inside look on this high-level conference and the U.S. administration’s increased efforts to combat resurgent antisemitism. Then, we were joined by Tyler Gregory, Executive Director of A Wider Bridge, who shared his thoughts on Israeli Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz’s controversial stateme...
Jul 19, 2019•28 min
The shooting and killing of Ethiopian Israeli Solomon Teka by an off-duty police officer last month sparked protests across Israel. Joining us is Director of Interfaces and Synergy at The Jewish Agency for Israel Pnina Agenyahu to update us on the latest developments and discuss how Israel is addressing the challenges facing its Ethiopian community. Then, Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore and former Permanent Representative o...
Jul 12, 2019•46 min
Last month, AJC bade farewell to our former President, John Shapiro, and welcomed our new President, Harriet Schleifer. Today Schleifer, the first woman to lead the organization, joins us to discuss her new role and share her vision for the future of AJC. Two weeks ago, we heard from one of President Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics, Bill Kristol. This week, we're bringing you another conversation recorded on the sidelines of AJC Global Forum 2019 with Michael Anton, a former deputy ass...
Jul 03, 2019•34 min
Are governments across the world doing enough to combat the threat of anti-Semitism? U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr, British Member of Parliament for the Labour Party John Mann, and European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Director Michael O’Flaherty, joined us on the AJC Global Forum stage to address this question. Listen as they share their insights on the dangers of rising anti-Semitism and the need to step up efforts to confront it.
Jun 28, 2019•28 min
This week on AJC Passport, Dr. Remko Leemhuis, Assistant Director for Policy and Public Affairs at AJC’s Berlin Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations, joins us to discuss Hezbollah’s nefarious activities in Germany and the urgent need to designate the Iranian proxy in its entirety as a terrorist organization. Then, we continue our behind the scenes look at this year’s AJC Global Forum in Washington, where we caught up with Bill Kristol, founder of The Weekly Standard and a leading politica...
Jun 20, 2019•29 min
Last week, we brought you onto the AJC Global Forum stage with a special live episode of AJC Passport. This week, we bring you backstage where we sat down with Dr. James Carafano, Vice President at The Heritage Foundation, for an exclusive conversation on U.S. foreign policy under President Trump, including immigration reform and the Middle East peace process. Then, we’re joined by AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (Res.) Avital Leibovich to explain why Israel is heading back to the polls for an u...
Jun 14, 2019•37 min
Earlier this week, nearly 2,500 leaders, activists, and guests from across the United States and more than 50 countries gathered in Washington, D.C., for AJC Global Forum 2019. There, British Members of Parliament Joan Ryan and Ian Austin sat down with us for a special episode of AJC Passport. Recorded in front of our largest-ever live audience, our conversation with Ryan and Austin centered on the rampant anti-Semitism plaguing the Labour Party and how they’re fighting back.
Jun 06, 2019•23 min
This week, we bring you a special Florida-themed episode of AJC Passport. We spoke to two members of Congress from Florida, Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Representative Brian Mast (R-FL), and discussed the importance of pro-Israel support on both sides of the aisle and the need to confront the threat of anti-Semitism in America.
May 24, 2019•33 min
Last week, former U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Hannah Rosenthal joined us for a special AJC Passport live show in Atlanta to celebrate 75 years since the creation of AJC's Atlanta office. Rosenthal discussed her time in government and her work fighting hatred of the Jewish people around the world.
May 16, 2019•27 min
The recent flare-up between Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza and Israel over saw more than 650 rockets slam into Israel’s south, killing four Israeli civilians and paralyzing much of the country. The assault drew over 300 retaliatory strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces. Joining us today is AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich to fill us in on the latest round of violence and its aftermath. Then we’ll hear a conversation with Congressman Eliot Enge...
May 10, 2019•37 min
Imam Mohamed Magid is the spiritual leader and executive director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center, which serves 5,000 Muslim families in Northern Virginia, making him one the most important imams in America. He is also a member of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, convened by AJC and the Islamic Society of North America. Imam Magid joins us this week to discuss Islam in America and the state of Muslim-Jewish relations. Also joining us this week is AJC Transatlantic Institute Direc...
May 03, 2019•47 min
With AJC Global Forum 2019 rapidly approaching, we’re throwing it back to last year’s Global Forum in Jerusalem. There, we recorded the first-ever AJC Passport live show in a room filled with hundreds of college students. Journalist Matti Friedman joined us to discuss one of the least reported-on angles of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the press that covers the struggle. Drawing on his years of experience as an AP reporter and editor, Friedman talked with us about how the editorial process s...
Apr 25, 2019•53 min
September 11 was a traumatic and defining moment for Americans, so it comes as little surprise that questionable comments about the attack by a controversial member of Congress would generate a firestorm. JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas joins us to explain the war of words between Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and President Trump. Also joining us this week is Stephanie Guiloff, Deputy Director of AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, to discuss a ne...
Apr 19, 2019•27 min
Israelis went to the polls earlier this week to elect the members of the 21st Knesset and choose a prime minister. Days after the polls closed, the final results have been announced. On this special post-election episode of AJC Passport, we are joined by David Makovsky, former senior advisor to the Secretary of State’s Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations and Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich t...
Apr 12, 2019•43 min
In recent years, Europe has been rocked by reports of increasing anti-Semitism. But what is happening within our own borders? Brian Levin, Director of California State University’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, joins us to share his latest findings, analyze the trends in hate crimes in the United States, and explore effective responses. Then, with the national election in Israel less than a week away, Haaretz journalist Allison Kaplan Sommer joins us on "The Battle for Balfour” to ...
Apr 05, 2019•45 min
The African American and American Jewish communities have a long and storied history of cooperation. But is there still a shared Black-Jewish agenda today? Joining us is Dr. Lonnie Bunch III, Founding Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, to discuss the past, present, and future of Black-Jewish relations in America. Then, on "The Battle for Balfour,” we are joined by Jerusalem Post Senior Contributing Editor Lahav Harkov for an update on the latest ...
Mar 29, 2019•31 min
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known by his initials as AMLO, swept into office as president of Mexico with great fanfare and big promises. Will he be able to live up to them? Joining us today to discuss what we can expect from López Obrador’s presidency is Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, who accompanied a high-level AJC delegation that met with him in Mexico City last week. Then on "The Battle for Balfour,” ...
Mar 22, 2019•30 min
On February 18, seven members of the British Parliament resigned from the Labour Party, citing what they called “institutional anti-Semitism.” Two more followed just days later. Though dramatic, the split came as little surprise: the Labour Party has been rocked by charges of anti-Semitism since Jeremy Corbyn became party leader in 2015. Ella Rose, former National Director of the Jewish Labour Movement, joins us to discuss the political fallout of the split and what it means for the future of th...
Mar 14, 2019•27 min
Rabbi David Rosen lives in Jerusalem, but he spends much of his time traveling the world as AJC’s Director of International Interreligious Affairs. He joins us this week from the Vatican, where he is accompanying a senior AJC delegation in meetings with Pope Francis and other high-level Church officials. We spoke with him about the history of Catholic-Jewish relations, the breaking news that the Church will unseal WWII-era archives, and the future of interreligious dialogue. Then, on "The Battle...
Mar 07, 2019•38 min
Mitch Landrieu’s second term as Mayor of New Orleans may have ended in 2018, but the impact of his eight years in office will be felt for years to come. He helped revive a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and led the fight to take down four Confederate statues. In December, Landrieu traveled to Israel with AJC Project Interchange while serving as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He joins us now to discuss the trip, the value of centrism in America’s political discourse, an...
Mar 01, 2019•35 min
Last May, we were joined by Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, to talk about his experience visiting Israel as part of our annual AJC Project Interchange delegation of U.S. mayors. Since then, Buttigieg, who is helping to reinvigorate his Midwest city, took a giant leap onto the national political stage when he declared his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. With this enhanced spotlight on Mayor Pete, we are rerunning this pertinent interview to share his though...
Feb 22, 2019•24 min
Last weekend, freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) used her Twitter account to promote a classic anti-Semitic trope, accusing American Jews of paying off elected officials to maintain the U.S.-Israel relationship. Omar issued an apology after her remarks were met with widespread condemnation, including from the Democratic leadership. Was her apology sincere? Will she learn from this episode and become an ally in the fight against anti-Semitism? AJC CEO David Harris joins us to discuss the in...
Feb 15, 2019•31 min
Is the Democratic Party still pro-Israel? Leading public opinion researcher and political strategist Mark Mellman joins us to address a question being asked by many and discuss how his newly-formed group, the Democratic Majority for Israel, plans to counter those trying to pull the party away from the Jewish state. Also joining us is AJC Assistant Director of International Relations Holly Huffnagle, who previously served as Policy Advisor to the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor a...
Feb 07, 2019•33 min
Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself president after years of economic turmoil in what was once one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to show their support for Guaidó and their opposition to the repressive regime of Nicolás Maduro. Will this dramatic turn of events help restore democracy and freedom to the country? Dany Bahar, an Israeli and Venezuelan economist serving as a David M. Rubenstein ...
Feb 01, 2019•29 min
Last weekend, demonstrators took to the streets for the 2019 Women’s March, but this year’s event was mired in controversy. This week on AJC Passport, we hear from two leading Jewish figures who support the aims of the March, but disagree on whether to participate in light of the ongoing anti-Semitism scandals surrounding its leadership. Carly Pildis, political organizer and contributing editor at Tablet Magazine, and Rabbi Sarah Bassin, Assistant Rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, discus...
Jan 25, 2019•37 min
