AJC chief Ted Deutch addresses AIJAC
Former US Congressman and current American Jewish Committee CEO and President Ted Deutch attended an AIJAC function for supporters, where he spoke with AIJAC Executive Manager Joel Burnie on a wide range of issues affecting the American Jewish community, as well as the similarities and synergies with the Australian Jewish community.
Joel Burnie, Mark Leibler, Ted Deutch, Shira Loewenberg,(AJC) Colin Rubenstein
Deutch spoke about the importance of getting leaders to call out antisemitism from all sides – including their own. He mentioned that if anti-Zionism becomes a socially acceptable form of antisemitism, then it’s only a matter of time before it leads to violence.
He also spoke about the importance of youth and resilience noting that there is “nothing more inspiring than spending time with Jewish students” and how important they are for the future of global Jewry. In particular, he said that while his organisation does spend considerable time fighting against antisemitism, it was also very important to talk “about what we’re fighting for” and what that means for the Jewish people.
Deutch criticised those countries simply declaring a Palestinian state as if no negotiations need to take place, saying you cannot achieve peace by doing so. He also mentioned the opportunities that could take place in the region if a deal is made with Saudi Arabia who he called the most important Muslim country, saying that if that were to occur many countries would follow.
Deutch emphasised the importance of having the ability to speak with moral clarity about what is actually happening, saying that everything flows from the truth. This is why, he said, it was very important to remind people exactly what happened on October 7th.
AIJAC and AJC have had a long-standing partnership stretching back to the early 1990s. Deutch was in Australia as a guest of AIJAC, and visited Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney for a series of talks with politicians, journalists and other important stakeholders.
