The American Jewish Committee (AJC) — the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people — has marked a period of extraordinary diplomatic, educational, and legislative achievement, forging new partnerships across the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas while unveiling a first-of-its-kind national strategy to combat antisemitism in all its modern forms.
From a landmark interfaith agreement signed in Abu Dhabi to a new anti-hate playbook developed alongside more than 60 experts, AJC’s recent initiatives reflect a sustained and wide-ranging effort to build bridges, protect communities, and advance a more secure future for Jewish people everywhere.
New AJC Partnership to Advance Interfaith Dialogue Across the Middle East
On the sidelines of the International Dialogue of Civilizations and Tolerance Conference 2026 — of which AJC was a main partner — AJC signed a new partnership agreement in Abu Dhabi with the Emirates Scholar Center for Research and Studies to expand interfaith dialogue and cooperation across the Middle East.
Implemented through AJC’s Center for a New Middle East and AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, the partnership combines the Emirates Scholar Center’s academic expertise with AJC’s extensive regional relationships built over more than 70 years.
Landmark Antisemitism Playbook — A First-of-Its-Kind Strategy
In one of its most consequential recent moves, AJC CEO Ted Deutch unveiled the Combating Antisemitism Playbook — a first-of-its-kind framework designed to equip leaders across society with the tools to understand, respond to, and prevent antisemitism in all its contemporary forms.
Developed through consultation with more than 60 experts spanning government, law enforcement, education, technology, and civil society, the Playbook represents a fundamental shift in strategy — moving beyond past approaches to provide tailored, practical recommendations for 13 different sectors across society.
“The Jewish community and our allies have been asking for a proactive, visionary effort to not only scale the fight against antisemitism, but to also address it in all its contemporary forms. AJC’s Combating Antisemitism Playbook delivers exactly that.”
— Ted Deutch, AJC CEOBipartisan Legislation to Protect Jewish Communities
AJC’s advocacy has produced direct legislative action. Lawmakers introduced the AJC-backed Jewish American Security Act in both chambers of Congress — led in the Senate by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), and in the House by Representatives Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY).
The legislation takes a comprehensive approach to addressing antisemitism across American society, including:
Campus & School Protections
Strengthens civil-rights protections for Jewish students in schools and universities nationwide.
Synagogue Security Funding
Expands security grants for synagogues, Jewish community centers, and nonprofits.
Online Hate Accountability
Increases accountability for social-media platforms hosting antisemitic content.
Federal Coordination
Improves coordinated federal responses to antisemitic incidents across jurisdictions.
Holocaust Education Across the Middle East and North Africa
Landmark Holocaust Education Gathering in Morocco
AJC, together with the American Sephardi Federation and Association Mimouna, convened a landmark gathering in Morocco in April, bringing together educators from across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond to strengthen Holocaust and genocide education.
At a time of widespread antisemitism and historical misinformation, the initiative tackled gaps in historical understanding and fostered Muslim-Jewish dialogue as a critical tool to counter hate and build a more tolerant and informed future across the region.
AJC BRIDGE Summit Connects Middle East and U.S. Leaders in Miami
At the BRIDGE-Miami Summit during Israel Tech Week, AJC hosted business leaders from Israel, the Arab world, and the United States to strengthen economic ties and advance regional integration. As Middle East dynamics rapidly evolve, the summit underscored how economic collaboration can drive stability, expand partnerships, and ultimately build a more interconnected and prosperous region.
Isaac Accords — Deepening Israel–Latin America Ties
AJC Launches Global Partners of the Isaac Accords
At AJC Global Forum 2026, CEO Ted Deutch announced the launch of the Global Partners of the Isaac Accords — a new initiative designed to engage Jewish communities, civil society leaders, and policymakers across Latin America and beyond, administered through AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA).
AJC and Ireland’s Jewish Community Unite Against Antisemitism
AJC and Jewish Representative Council of Ireland Forge Formal Partnership
AJC and the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI) announced a formal partnership — AJC’s 43rd international Jewish community partnership — to combat rising antisemitism in Ireland at AJC Global Forum 2026.
The agreement builds on years of collaboration, including joint advocacy with Irish officials and coordinated efforts to counter anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist initiatives — including the proposed renaming of Dublin’s Herzog Park, which helped spark a broader national conversation about historical memory and Jewish life in Ireland.
“At a time when the Irish Jewish community is facing rising antisemitism and increasingly complex public discourse around Israel, AJC and JRCI are committed to shaping a future in which Jewish life is not only protected but thriving.”
— Ted Deutch, AJC CEOHonoring Allies and Calling for Accountability
AJC presented Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, with the Nostra Aetate at Sixty Award, recognizing his decades of steadfast partnership in Catholic-Jewish relations and his unwavering voice against antisemitism following the October 7 massacre.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, an AJC Project Interchange alumnus, received AJC’s Donald M. Ephraim Global Jewish Advocacy Award for his commitment to combating extremism and fostering interfaith unity. In April, Mayor Gloria joined hundreds at AJC San Diego’s Standing Together Summit, calling for stronger allyship to confront rising antisemitism.
AJC is also urging Congress to pass H.Res.1239, introduced by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), calling on lawmakers to condemn extreme antisemitic rhetoric spread by prominent online figures — sending a clear message that antisemitism has no place in America.
RIU Special Report
This is a special report by the Rooted in Unity editorial team. Rooted in Unity is a Houston, Texas–based initiative dedicated to dialogue, civic engagement, and principled advocacy across faith communities and national boundaries. Source: American Jewish Committee (AJC).