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AJC Passport: Where Does Europe Stand as the Iran Deal Deadline Looms? May 04, 2018

Show notes

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

AJC Passport: Germans Say No to Anti-Semitism, Portman Says No to Genesis Prize Apr 27, 2018

Show notes

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

AJC Passport: Three Perspectives as Israel Turns 70 Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

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

AJC Passport: What's Ahead for the State Department and the Iran Deal? Apr 13, 2018

Show notes

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.

AJC Passport: Protests in Gaza, Asylum Seekers in Israel Apr 05, 2018

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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.

AJC Passport: A Cabinet Reshuffle in Washington and a Murder in Paris Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

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.

AJC Passport: How Will Britain's Labour Party Fix Its Anti-Semitism Problem? Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

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.

AJC Passport: Why the Women's March Can't Quit Farrakhan Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

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.

AJC Passport: Netanyahu and Trump, feat. Amb. Dan Shapiro Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

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.

AJC Passport: The Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism Mar 02, 2018

Show notes

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.

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