American Jewish Committee News Summary: June 27, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)–Here are American Jewish Committee’s top stories and resources of the day to help you stay informed, share the facts, and rally your networks to take action in support of Israel and against Hamas’ war crimes. You can expect to receive the next update on Monday, July 1.
  1. Day 265 Hostages Update: State Department Says Hamas Rejected Hostage Deal 
    On Tuesday, during a meeting with senior Biden administration officials in Washington, D.C., Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is “committed to and firmly backing the president’s [hostage-ceasefire] deal. Hamas must accept it or bear the consequences. We stand together with the rest of the world on this issue.” Then, during a press briefing, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Hamas “gave us a written response that rejected the proposal put forward by Israel, that President Biden had outlined, that the United Nations Security Council and countries all around the world had endorsed.”
  2. Ahead of Tonight’s Presidential Debate, Listen to AJC’s Great Debate on the 2024 Election
    In AJC’s signature AJC Global Forum session, the Great Debate, Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, and Morgan Ortagus, founder of POLARIS National Security and former Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State under the Trump administration, engaged in a debate, on the 2024 presidential election and its impact on the global Jewish community, Israel, and the future of democracy. Ahead of tonight’s debate for the 2024 presidential election, listen on AJC’s People of the Pod.
  3. Campus Update: Amherst College Trustees Reject BDS; UC Berkeley Expands Antisemitism Education
    On Monday, the board of trustees at Amherst College rejected a proposal by faculty and students for divestment from companies that sell arms to Israel. Last week, UC Berkeley announced a plan to expand antisemitism education to all incoming students beginning this fall. This is part of the school’s five-year funding commitment to widen the educational effort against antisemitism, including a new Israel Studies minor.

    • AJC Op-Ed in the New York Post: AJC’s New York Regional Director, Josh Kramer, questions Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s decision to drop charges against the anti-Israel protesters who violently seized an academic building at Columbia University in April. Read the op-ed.
  4. War Update: IDF Struck Hamas Command Center at Gaza School; Terrorist Responsible for PIJ Missile Program Killed
    IDF Captain Alon Sacagiu, 22, was killed by a roadside improvised explosive device, and 16 other soldiers were wounded overnight during a military operation targeting Hamas infrastructure in Jenin in the West Bank. May his memory be a blessing. In Khan Younis, Israel targeted a Hamas command center located in a school with fighter jets. Israel’s security cabinet is scheduled to meet tonight as tensions rise between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel at the northern border. Today, there was a barrage of approximately 40 rockets fired at northern Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon. No injuries or damage have been reported. On Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force targeted and killed Fadi Jihad Muhammad Al-Wadiya, the terrorist responsible for developing and advancing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) missile array and knowledge of electronics and chemistry. The NGO Doctors Without Borders posted on social media that Al-Wadiya was a staff member and denied his links to the terror group. In response, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, shared three images of Al-Wadiya in PIJ uniform.
 

Photo of the Day: AJC Brings Social Media Influencers to Israel

This week, ten lifestyle social media influencers went on an AJC Project Interchange fact-finding delegation in Israel. One member of the delegation said, “For me, every day has been about presence and determination to combat the false narratives as Israel defends itself against existential threats. It starts with… the space to bear witness.”

Support AJC’s Critical Work

Through our network of 75+ offices, institutes, and partnerships worldwide, AJC—the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people—is working non-stop to support Israel, counter surging antisemitism, and protect Jewish communities everywhere in the wake of Hamas’ brutal O‍ct‍ob‍er ‍7 attack. With your help, we can do even more to shape a new future for the Jewish state and the Jewish people. Join us with a gift to AJC today.

Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee  (AJC)