Representatives of 53 American Jewish organizations participating in the annual National Leadership Mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, and attended Knesset Committee meetings. In addition, they held a briefing with Israel’s Chief of Police, Yaakov “Kobi” Shabtai.
The delegation led by Conference of Presidents Chair Dianne Lob and CEO William Daroff, included more than 70 senior leaders from the Conference of Presidents’ 53-member organizations and its National Leadership Council.
Summarizing the threats Israel faced, Defense Minister Gallant told the delegates, “On our northern front Israel faces Hezbollah and Iranian militias. On our southern border, we face Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. And within our borders we face radical Palestinian terrorism which has recently cost the lives of 11 innocent souls.”
He noted, “The common ground on all these fronts is Iranian backing: ideological, financial, and military support. To Israel it is clear, that the source of regional and global chaos and the trace of every attacker, leads back to Tehran.”
Earlier this morning, the delegation met with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who spoke of his recent visit to Kyiv. He said, “I was the first Foreign Minister from the Middle East to have visited Ukraine when I went last week. It is very important to us to show our support for the Ukrainian people. I told President Zelenskyy we will support Ukraine in the UN, continue to supply humanitarian aid, and share our alert system.”
He added, “We also have direct communications with Russia. There is a large Jewish community in Russia, and Russia is an important player in our region.”
The Minister also stressed the importance of Israel’s relationship with the Diaspora Jewish communities, and noted he had reached out to all communities to strengthen ties.
The delegates went on to visit the Knesset where they met with Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, and attended special meetings of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Committee. In addition, they had lunch with a number of Members of Knesset from across the political spectrum, during which they spoke about the key issues on the Knesset’s agenda.
Addressing the group, Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana spoke of the importance of the relationship with the United States and of the impact of the Abraham Accords on the region. He noted, “The Abraham Accords have shown that even nations with a history of conflict can come together in peace and work for a better future. I believe that soon we will stop talking about the Israeli-Arab conflict and start taking instead about the Arab-Israeli alliance.”
In their meeting earlier with Israel’s Chief of Police, Yaakov 'Kobi' Shabtai, he told the delegates about the dedication with which Israel was facing the battle against terror and crime, and ensure the safety of Israel’s citizens.
He said, “The Israel Police is confronting three consequential challenges all at the same time – consequential for their potential impact and for the extensive resources required to tackle them: serving the citizens, tackling crime and fighting terrorism. I know of no other police force in the world that faces a similar range of complex challenges, with the accompanying weight of the missions that fall on its officers' shoulders and the endless hours they are called upon to put in to resolve them. Our officers are becoming the human shield of Israeli society as a whole, in the face of those who would bring harm to those wishing for a safe existence free of crime."
Conference of Presidents CEO, William Daroff noted that, “We spent the day tackling and engaging on some of the most challenging issues Israel has faced for many years. The opportunity to meet with a range of opinions represented in the Knesset, allows us to hear from the mosaic of the diverse population of Israel, and to raise questions and issues of concern to the American Jewish community.”
During the course of the week, the group have meetings with Israeli leaders in government, the military, and academia.
The proven and effective voice of organized American Jewry for six decades, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations advances the interests of the American Jewish community, promotes broad-based support for Israel, and addresses critical concerns facing Israel and world Jewry. The Conference is at the forefront of efforts to strengthen US-Israel relations and broaden support for Israel among the American people, to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, counter global antisemitism, fight against the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and other attempts to isolate Israel and the Jewish people and, achieve peace and security for Israel and her neighbors.