September 22, 2023 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch today met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Prime Minister’s address to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Deutch was among a group of American Jewish leaders invited to speak with Netanyahu.
“We had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which we discussed the key issues affecting the global Jewish community and the State of Israel, including the rise of global antisemitism, widening the circle of peace in the Middle East, and the many threats posed by Iran – all of which were top priorities for AJC in our more than 75 meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch.
“AJC helped lay the foundation for the Abraham Accords and welcomes the increasingly public signs of progress in U.S. efforts to facilitate Saudi-Israel peace,” Deutch said. “As I discussed with the Prime Minister today, AJC continues to work with governments around the world to highlight the opportunities that come from working more closely with Israel, and to emphasize that further relationship building and normalization lead to many positive outcomes.”
Deutch emphasized the need for more effective, universally applied efforts to confront the Iranian threat to Israel and the broader Jewish community.
“AJC shares Israel’s deep concerns about the growing threat posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies. We will continue to be loudly outspoken on the need to counter the entirety of the threat that the regime poses,” Deutch said. “We continue to lead the charge to hold Iran accountable for its flagrant human rights abuses and the need to prevent the further development of its ballistic missile program that can, in turn, provide nuclear weapons capabilities that would directly threaten Israel, her people, and the entire world.”
Deutch also noted the Prime Minister highlighted prospects for peace as a center point of his remarks at the UN.
“While the vision of a two-state solution too often seems out of reach, AJC stands firm in our dedication to pursuing a path toward peace and prosperity for all in the region. The Abraham Accords once felt impossible – and look where we are today. We remain committed to expanding normalization and supporting programs that promote Israeli-Palestinian cooperation, knowing that these efforts will bring us closer to enduring peace,” Deutch said.
In addressing internal challenges in Israel related to debate around judicial reform and other policy matters, Deutch reiterated that AJC continues to hope for solutions that aim for the broadest possible consensus and stands ready to support Israel in any way possible as it continues to navigate these difficult challenges.
“From the outset of the process, AJC has expressed our firm belief that dramatic changes to Israel’s judicial system should result from a deliberative and inclusive process that upholds the democratic values of maintaining checks and balances, respecting minority rights and civil liberties, and preserving essential judicial independence,” Deutch said. “We are continuing our conversations with government officials and members of Israeli civil society to strongly urge the need for consensus.”
AJC led the Jewish community’s diplomatic outreach to world leaders gathered this week in New York for the UN General Assembly, holding more than 75 meetings with world leaders. AJC has worked on the ground in the Middle East and North Africa for more than half a century to widen the circle of peace in the Middle East by forging relationships between Israel and Arab nations.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC's mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. More at AJC.org.
