Ajc Passport

The “fix it or nix it” question has been answered. On Tuesday, President Trump announced that the U.S. is withdrawing from the JCPOA and reinstating crippling sanctions against Iran. The reaction in Israel and the Gulf was positive; Europe responded with a mix of disappointment and anger. But the question everyone is asking now is: what comes next? Joining us this week is Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). As an Iran expert who advised the Trump, Obama, and Bush administrations, Mark offers us a unique vantage point on the flaws of the Iran deal and what lies ahead. We also spoke with Dr. Matthew Levitt, author of Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God and Director on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the recent elections in Lebanon and the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria.

As May 12 nears, President Trump has a decision to make: will he or won’t he waive sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear deal (JCPOA)? In January, the President told the world that he would extend sanctions relief one last time so Europe and the U.S. could fix the deal’s flaws. Now, as the next deadline approaches, leaders from Europe have visited the White House in an attempt to persuade the Commander in Chief not to scrap the deal. On this week’s AJC Passport we were joined by Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of the Brussels-based AJC Transatlantic Institute, to discuss the European perspective on the future of the JCPOA as well as reactions to Israel’s recent intel coup, which proved unequivocally that Iran lied about the nature of its nuclear program. Show notes: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/opinion/abbas-palestine-israel.html

This week on AJC Passport, we turn our eyes to Berlin where 2,000 Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others rallied in response to a bizarre anti-Semitic assault last week…against a young Arab man who had donned a kippah to prove to his Jewish friend that it was safe to wear one on the streets of Berlin. Deidre Berger, director of AJC Berlin joined us to explain exactly what happened and to discuss the state of anti-Semitism in Germany. She also walked us through AJC Europe’s 3i conference that dealt with the critical issues of immigration, integration, and identity. We also spoke with Haaretz staff writer and The Promised Podcast panelist Allison Kaplan Sommer regarding the recent controversy surrounding Natalie Portman’s decision to back out of receiving the Genesis Prize in Israel. Show notes: The post-WWII AJC cartoon that Deidre mentioned: http://ajcarchives.org/main.php?DocumentId=11590

This week on AJC Passport we celebrated a historic milestone: 70 years since the founding of the State of Israel. On this special occasion, we spoke with three figures—a politician, a historian, and an advocate—to hear their thoughts on Israel's anniversary, and their hopes for Israel's future. For a political perspective, we were joined by Israeli Member of Knesset Tzipi Livni, the leader of the Hatnuah party and former Foreign Minister. For a historical analysis, we spoke with Francine Klagsbrun, a writer and activist whose most recent work, Lioness, is a nuanced biography of Golda Meir. Finally, for an advocate's take on Israel's future, we sat down with AJC CEO David Harris, who has decades of experience promoting Israel's place in the world. Show notes: Israel at 70 eBook: https://www.ajc.org/Israelat70 Koolulam's cover of "Al Kol Eleh" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzR9Z-kG6Q

This week on AJC Passport, we’re bringing you rapid reaction to the hearings the Senate Foreign Relations held this week to determine whether to advance the nomination of CIA Director and former Congressman Mike Pompeo. Jason Isaacson, AJC’s Associate Executive Director for Policy, joined us from Washington, D.C., to analyze the potentially contentious confirmation process and what Pompeo’s transition into this new role would mean for American foreign policy. Then, listen in on our conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross about Iran’s adventurism in the Middle East and the future of the Iran nuclear deal.

As Jews across the world celebrated Passover, Palestinians in Gaza staged a massive protest on Israel’s border. Armed Hamas terrorists fired on Israeli soldiers and tried to breach the border fence. Israel responded to the violence, prompting a great deal of international scrutiny. In this week’s AJC Passport, we spoke with Ambassador Dennis Ross, a career diplomat who has spent much of his career working first-hand on Israeli-Palestinian peace, about the hardships Gazans must cope with, the security challenges Israel faces, and the prospects for the Trump administration’s peace proposal. We also spoke with Haaretz's Washington D.C. correspondent Amir Tibon on this week's short-lived deal to keep more than half of the African asylum seekers in Israel while sending the rest to other western countries for resettlement. Just 20 hours after Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the agreement he had reached with the UN to a great deal of fanfare—and much right-wing opposition—he backtracked and formally canceled it.

In just a few short weeks, President Trump has reshuffled key foreign policy roles in his administration. In the latest episode of AJC Passport, we spoke with Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor in the George W. Bush administration. We discussed the import of these changes, and how they’ll affect the upcoming U.S.-North Korea meeting and the upcoming decision on the future of the Iran nuclear deal. AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen also joined us to discuss the horrific anti-Semitic murder of 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll in Paris.

As hate incidents against Jews in Britain reach record levels, its Labour Party continues to be plagued by one anti-Semitism scandal after another. In our latest episode of AJC Passport, we speak with John Mann, Labour Party MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism, to explore the deeply rooted anti-Semitic views of certain party members, and whether party leader Jeremy Corbyn can find his way out of the scandal. Belle Yoeli, Assistant Director of AJC’s Office of Political Outreach, also joined us to discuss the impending passage of the Taylor Force Act.

When Tamika Mallory attended an event hosted by the head of the Nation of Islam, notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, she exposed the Women’s March movement she co-chairs to a torrent of criticism. In their belated response, the leaders of the Women’s March distanced themselves from Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism, but declined to reject him outright. We talked with Adam Serwer, Senior Editor at The Atlantic on Farrakhan’s influence in the Black community, and the pitfalls he represents for the progressive leaders of the Women’s March. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu met this week in Washington, to discuss issues critical to the U.S.-Israel relationship. In this week’s AJC Passport, we unpacked the visit and checked in on the state of the crucial bilateral tie with former U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 2011-2017. We also chatted with The Jerusalem Post's Washington Bureau Chief Michael Wilner about the political objectives of both leaders and how their domestic challenges are playing with one another's audience. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

From Nazis marching in Charlottesville to attacks on Jews in the streets of Europe, anti-Semitism persists around the world. In this week's AJC Passport, we talked with Ira Forman, the former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the U.S. State Department, about the international trends in anti-Semitic attitudes. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

In our latest episode, we discuss the Munich Security Conference, a premiere meeting of global political and military leaders. Prime Minister Netanyahu made headlines at the conference by warning Iran not to "test Israel’s resolve” in response to recent Iranian provocations. Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki responded to an Israeli journalist’s question about the country’s Holocaust law by invoking “Jewish perpetrators.” AJC Berlin-Ramer Director Deidre Berger was at the conference and joins us to discuss its outcomes. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

Join us for a conversation with North Korea expert Jamie Metzl, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, on North Korea’s Olympic charm offensive. Then, we talk with Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovitch, Director of AJC Jerusalem, about the recent violent flare-up on Israel's northern border. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

The strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship has long been rooted in bipartisan support for an alliance based on shared interests and values. But is the bipartisan consensus on Israel fading away? In this episode of AJC Passport, we speak with Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution. Tamara, who previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs in the Obama Administration, recently co-authored an essay in The Atlantic that examines polling data and probes this question. Our second guest is Dr. Steven Bayme, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, who discussed present-day American Jewish attitudes towards Israel. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Polish government initiated a bill making it illegal to assert that Poland or Polish citizens bear responsibility for Holocaust crimes. Under this legislation, even the utterance of the words “Polish death camps” can be punished by up to three years in jail. The move has sparked outrage around the world, especially in Israel. In this week's episode, we talk to Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich on the reaction in the Polish-Jewish community and to AJC's Gosia Szymanska Weiss regarding the political and diplomatic fallout. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Israel last week and was warmly received. Throughout his political career, Pence has cited his Evangelical faith as the foundation of his support for the Jewish state. Our guests are McKay Coppins, staff writer for The Atlantic, who recently profiled Pence for the magazine, as well as Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations. Join us as we examine the dynamics undergirding Evangelical support for Israel. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

In 2017, far-right parties rode a wave of anti-immigrant and xenophobic sentiment to new electoral heights across Europe. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) became the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag since the 1960s. Meanwhile, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which was founded by former Nazis, entered Austria’s parliament for the second time. In this episode, we examine the societal responses to these two political developments. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

It's been three years since an Islamist terrorist attacked Hyper Cacher, a kosher supermarket in Paris, murdering four Jews. In this episode, we examine how the French government, society, and Jewish community have responded since the attack. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

Year one of the Trump administration is in the books. How did it approach Israel and the Arab-Israeli peace process? Did the administration's Middle East policy evolve as the year wore on? We explore both questions this week. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

In late December, Iranians took to the streets across the country to protest against their government. The regime cracked down harshly—dozens were killed and hundreds were arrested. In this episode, we examine the surprisingly muted reaction in Europe and how the Iranian diaspora has responded. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.