September 25, 2024 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC) tonight honored Tal Becker, a veteran peace negotiator and legal advisor to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for his tireless efforts to strengthen and safeguard the Jewish homeland in the community of nations, as well as his steadfast commitment to peace in the Middle East.
The Madeline and Bruce Ramer Award for Diplomatic Excellence was presented to Becker at this year’s AJC Global Jewish Diplomacy Reception, a keystone event of AJC’s Diplomatic Marathon on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly—a three-decade-old, first-of-its-kind outreach operation aimed at advancing issues of concern to the Jewish community with leaders from around the globe. The reception is the main Jewish event during the opening days of this year’s meeting.
During AJC’s Diplomatic Marathon, AJC staff and lay leaders will meet with scores of diplomats and world leaders. This year’s Diplomatic Marathon occurs just weeks before the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack, which resulted in the massacre of 1,200 children, women, and men in southern Israel and the kidnapping of more than 250 citizens from over 25 countries, many of whom died—or were executed—in captivity.
“With this year’s UN General Assembly taking place against the unprecedented backdrop of Israel’s seven-front defensive war against Iran and its terror proxies, and the surge of antisemitism following Hamas’ October 7 massacre of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages—101 of whom remain in captivity—AJC’s Diplomatic Marathon is unlike any before it,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “As we have done since October 7, we are urging every world leader to not only call for but to also join in the effort to bring the hostages home. We continue to counter attacks against Israel's legitimacy, the related global surge in antisemitism, and Iran's destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East and Europe."
In addition to Becker, featured speakers included Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE Federal National Council.
In addition to meeting with top officials attending the General Assembly, AJC engages with presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers in their own capitals as part of AJC’s year-round diplomatic activity.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 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. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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