May 7, 2018 — New York, NY
Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor of Austria, will address the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Forum in Jerusalem. The four-day conference, June 10-13, is the premier Jewish global advocacy organization’s signature annual event.
“We are honored that Chancellor Kurz will join us in Israel’s capital to share his perspective on regional and global challenges,” said AJC CEO David Harris, who last met with Kurz in Vienna in January. “He is one of the most articulate, dynamic, and forward-looking leaders in Europe today, and he is a proven friend of Israel and the Jewish people.”
More than 1,500 participants, including hundreds of young Jews, from across the United States and many other countries are expected to attend the Global Forum, the first time in AJC’s 112-year history that the conference convenes outside the United States. The AJC gathering will be the largest ever for an American Jewish organization in Jerusalem.
At the 2017 AJC Global Forum in Washington, D.C, Kurz, then Austria’s foreign minister, delivered a passionate message about historical memory and responsibility regarding the Holocaust, fighting antisemitism, and Austria’s relationship with Israel. He spoke via video, after cancelling his confirmed appearance because of unforeseen political developments in Vienna. Kurz expressed “regret not being able to address you in person,” and promised to be at the 2018 AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem.
AJC engages regularly with Austrian diplomats across the U.S., Europe, and Israel, and the global Jewish advocacy organization meets with top Austrian officials each year on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The nonpartisan AJC, founded in 1906, maintains headquarters in New York City, 22 regional offices across the United States, 11 posts worldwide, including Jerusalem, and 35 international association agreements.
