November 7, 2020 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the leading, nonpartisan global Jewish advocacy organization, congratulates Joe Biden on his election as the 46th President of the United States, and Kamala Harris as the first female vice president in American history. Biden was confirmed as the winner in the presidential contest by FOX News and CNN, after he garnered more than 270 electoral college votes.
“The record-high voter turnout, and hard-fought campaign by both candidates and their respective parties, is an inspiring testament to the strength of American democracy,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “The United States is one country with one destiny. That vision, that reality, has been sorely tested as never before, in an era of heightened polarization in American society, and amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, its economic consequences, and a decline of trust among some on various sides of the political spectrum in government institutions and practices.”
Smooth post-election transitions of power are among the best of American traditions. AJC looks forward to working with President-elect Biden and his administration, as well as with the new Congress, on the domestic and foreign policy concerns that are AJC advocacy priorities. For 36 years as a U.S. Senator, and eight years as Vice President of the United States, Biden has demonstrated a profound interest in advancing many of AJC’s concerns. AJC has long known Biden and worked closely with his office while he was a senator and then as the Vice President.
“Reuniting the country, restoring lost faith in each other and in our common destiny, must be the first order of business for President Biden and his administration,” said Harris. “The path ahead may be daunting, but effective leadership can overcome obstacles to success, and civil society will play a vital role – as we are prepared to do. The success of the 244-year-old American experiment is in our hands, and it is essential not only for our nation but for global peace, security, and opportunity.”
For AJC, policy priorities include:
-- The U.S.-Israel alliance, based on shared democratic values and interests, is a pillar of American foreign policy, and the United States should maintain its leadership role in widening the circle of Arab-Israeli peace.
-- The United States needs to reassert strong global leadership, as only it can, in support of fundamental values and the security and well-being of allies and treaty partners, and in the face of dangerous regional and global state and non-state actors.
-- America’s diversity is a core strength that must be defended against any attempts to demonize or stigmatize on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender or faith.
-- The bitter legacy of racial injustice, never fully resolved despite groundbreaking achievements over the decades, must be addressed, not with anger and violence, but in a spirit of unity, respect, and healing.
-- Combating antisemitism, the pernicious hatred of Jews, in all its forms and whatever its source, requires new strategies and efforts. Just-released AJC surveys of the Jewish and general American populations have revealed the persistence of antisemitism in the United States. This is a societal problem, a reminder that what begins with Jews never ends with Jews.
As candidates in the Democratic presidential primary, both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris prepared special videos for AJC’s Global Forum. To watch them, please click here for Biden and here for Harris.
From its birth 114 years ago this month, AJC has cherished American democracy and the unique opportunities that our country’s system aspires to offer all citizens, whatever their ethnicity, faith, race, or gender. AJC is a strictly non-partisan 501(c)(3) agency.
