February 17, 2019 — Munich, Germany
For the first time, American Jewish Committee (AJC) was invited to host an official side event at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference (MSC). MSC is the world’s foremost annual gathering focused on international relations and global security.
The AJC-organized conversation focused on transatlantic divergences on Middle East policy, with an emphasis on Iran, as well as on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The session brought together leading officials from Europe, Israel, and the United States as panelists, joined by many conference participants, including foreign ministers from the Middle East and Europe.
“We are grateful to MSC for inviting us to participate, all the more so at a time when a world in flux requires ever closer communication and cooperation,” said AJC CEO David Harris.
In addition to the side event, AJC had formal — and productive — bilateral meetings with: Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania; Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria; Nikos Christodoulides, Foreign Minister of Cyprus; Tomáš Petříček, Foreign Minister of Czech Republic; Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Foreign Minister of Egypt; George Katrougalos, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece; Linas Antanas Linkevičius, Foreign Minister of Lithuania; Jacek Czaputowicz, Foreign Minister of Poland; Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service; and Tzipi Livni, Member of Israeli Knesset and former foreign and justice minister.
The delegation also had a number of informal meetings with high-level political and diplomatic friends from the U.S. and Europe, including former secretaries of state and foreign ministers, and current members of Congress.
Meeting topics included combating the global rise of antisemitism, strengthening ties with Israel, and reaffirming the importance of the transatlantic partnership.
One official in Munich commented: “I always make time to meet AJC. You stand strong, very strong, on your principles. At the same time, unlike too many other groups, you engage in serious, informed, open-minded, two-way discussion. I have learned a lot from you over the years, most importantly how to recognize antisemitism and confront it.”
AJC, the global advocacy organization, has 22 offices across the United States, 12 international posts in Asia, Europe, Israel, and South America, and 37 association agreements with Jewish communities around the world.
