AIPAC News

Hot Topic: May 18 - Missile Defense

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:21:02 -0400

Hot Topic: May 11 - AIPAC in Action

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:33:05 -0400

Hot Topic: May 4 - Israel, Our Ally

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:22:33 -0400

Hot Topic: April 26 - Israeli Independence Day

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:18:59 -0400

Privacy Policy

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:07:00 -0400

AIPAC's Privacy Policy

AIPAC firmly believes in protecting the privacy of our members as well as visitors to our website.

Donor financial and personal information (such as credit card numbers, expiration dates, contact information, etc.) that you provide on our website or via mail is handled with utmost security and privacy. This information is used solely for our own business purposes, such as to process a donation or to contact you at a later date, and is not shared or sold to outside organizations or companies. AIPAC takes the utmost care to protect the safety and security of your online transactions by using industry-standard encryption and security protocols.

It is AIPAC’s policy to never share email addresses with other non-AIPAC-affiliated web sites or marketing companies, and while names and mail addresses are occasionally shared as part of list exchanges with like-minded organizations, AIPAC has and will continue to honor all requests from individuals that their names and addresses not be exchanged or shared to any other entity. For details, please email membership@aipac.org.

How We Use Cookies

In order to provide you with the most user friendly experience online, AIPAC may utilize cookies to customize your experience based on prior interactions with our website. Cookies are pieces of information stored on your computer that can help websites like ours tailor information most applicable to your visit. Cookies also help AIPAC analyze overall usage on our site so we can see which sections are most/least useful to our members.

Please know that cookies are not required for using AIPAC’s website and you may remove or disable cookies at any time using instructions found in the help menu of your web browser. Please also know that AIPAC may occasionally share information gathered in cookies with third party vendors, such as Google, in order to deliver future AIPAC messages to our visitors. You may opt out of Google's use of cookies by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page as well as opt out of our use of Google Analytics by visiting the Google Analytics Opt-out page.

Hot Topic: April 20 - Iran Weapons Shipments

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:44:38 -0400

Hot Topic: April 13 - Talks With Iran

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:06:06 -0400

Our Mission

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:51:58 -0400

AIPAC’s staff and citizen activists educate decision makers about the bonds that unite the United States and Israel and how it is in America’s best interest to help ensure that the Jewish state is safe, strong and secure.

Cooperation between the two countries is advantageous for both nations. AIPAC urges all members of Congress to support Israel through foreign aid, government partnerships, joint anti-terrorism efforts and the promotion of a negotiated two-state solution—a Jewish state of Israel and a demilitarized Palestinian state.

Hot Topic: March 30 - Energy Security

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:30:42 -0400

Hot Topic: April 5 - Bipartisanship

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:29:30 -0400

About AIPAC

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:23:53 -0400

Described by The New York Times as "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel,” AIPAC advocates for U.S. cooperation with Israel on a wide range of issues. From promoting peace between Israel and its neighbors to facilitating U.S.-Israel exchanges of expertise and equipment for homeland security, defense and counterterrorism to collaborating on technology, science and agricultural products, AIPAC is there to encourage the close working relationship between the countries.

AIPAC is registered as a domestic lobby and supported financially by private donations. The organization receives no financial assistance from Israel, from any national organization or any foreign group. AIPAC is not a political action committee and it does not rate, endorse or contribute to candidates.

Energy & Environment

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:49:46 -0400

America and Israel understand that developing next-generation energy technologies, such as alternative fuels, is a national security imperative and are working together toward this goal. Starting with a 1984 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a number of agreements have helped drive innovation and cooperation between the U.S. and Israel in the energy arena. In 2008, the countries signed a new MOU for sustainable energy cooperation, which served as the basis for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program that is funded annually by Congress.

Already a global high-tech powerhouse, Israel is pioneering developments in the energy sector. In fact, the Israeli government has begun to implement a new initiative that will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on petroleum for transportation purposes by developing oil alternatives, biofuels, synthetics, electric cars and energy efficient vehicles. Its partnership with the United States enables new, innovative projects to be implemented in both nations—creating jobs and protecting our future.

Learn more about how America and Israel are working together to bolster our energy security and green our world.

Hot Topic: March 16 - Qassam Rockets

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:04:22 -0400

Hot Topic: March 23 - Nuclear Proliferation

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:02:16 -0400

National Summit

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:42:58 -0500

Biblical Heritage

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:54:36 -0500

Despite being persecuted by these invading foreign forces, many brave Jews remained in their native Israel, continuing the Jewish inhabitance of this ancient land, without pause, until today.

Those who fled under expulsion and the generations that followed never lost faith in their desire to return to the land of their forefathers and foremothers: Israel. They never lost hope of one day returning to their ancient capital of Jerusalem—a city mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible and thousands of times in more than 2,000 years of rabbinic literature.

Millions of America’s Christians also feel a deep and abiding connection to Israel, and demonstrate this by making religious pilgrimages, offering moral and financial support and praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Based on theology and devotion to the land that was the setting for thousands of years of biblical history, they embrace the Jewish people and their national aspirations in Israel.

Beyond faith alone, America’s Christians have many reasons to support Israel: the Jewish state reflects U.S. democratic ideals, is a stable ally in a turbulent region and fervently protects all holy sites and freedom of religion for its citizens.

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Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:03:52 -0400

What We've Accomplished

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:41 -0400

Keeping America and Israel Secure

Working with Congress to ensure that Israel is able to defend itself. The Jewish state needs more than $3 billion in critical security assistance to remain capable of facing increased threats posed by terrorist groups and those sworn to its--and America's--destruction.

Sanctioning Iran

Achieving passage of more than a dozen bills and resolutions imposing tough sanctions on Iran during the past 15 years. As the Islamic Republic continues to be the world's leading sponsor of terrorism--including insurgents fighting U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq--and develop a nuclear weapon, America must exert economic pressure on the regime and slow its pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.

Working Together to Achieve Peace

Supporting America’s efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors. Real peace with all its neighbors has eluded the Jewish state for more than 60 years, but the two times it's Arab neighbors have been willing to talk were through direct negotiations supported by the United States. We supported these, and all efforts to achieve peace through direct talks.

Defending Citizens From Terrorist's Missiles

Enhancing U.S.-Israel defense cooperation through securing hundreds of millions of dollars each year for key U.S.-Israel defense programs, including the Arrow missile defense system and Iron Dome rocket defense system.

Ensuring Israel's Right to Self-Defense

The delegitimization of Israel and its right to self-defense is constantly in question. Congressional resolutions, letters and statements of support for Israel’s defensive actions in the face of terrorism by groups such as Hamas and Hizballah has helped send a strong message to the Jewish state's adversaries.

Securing Our Homeland

Increasing U.S.-Israel Homeland Security cooperation by passing landmark legislation creating an office within the Department of Homeland Security to support joint research and development projects between the United States and key allies, such as Israel.

Shabbaton Schedule

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:28 -0400

Friday, October 28, 2011

5:00PM

Mincha, Candle Lighting, Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv

Rabbi Weil will give a short shiur
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon 10

6:00PM

Shabbat Dinner

Learning Session with Rabbi Steven Weil
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon Princessa

Saturday, October 29, 2011

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Continental Breakfast

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon Princessa

9:00 AM

Shabbat Services

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon 10

11:45 AM

Learning Session with Rabbi Steven Weil

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon 10

12:15 PM

Kiddush Luncheon

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon Princessa

5:00 PM

Mincha

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon 10

5:30 PM

Seudah Shlishit

Learning Session with Rabbi Steven Weil
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon Princessa

6:15 PM

Maariv & Havdallah

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
Grand Ballroom Salon 10

*Schedule is subject to change

2011 Program

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:20 -0400

October 29, 2011

3:00 PM

Registration Opens

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

A Night Under the Stars

This year’s gathering will be honoring retiring Arizona Senator Jon Kyl for his steadfast commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. We will also hear from Ambassador Yehuda Avner, former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom and advisor to multiple Israeli prime ministers. This session is exclusively for Senate Club, President’s Cabinet, Chairman’s Council and Minyan members.

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Capitol Club Dessert Reception

Enjoy an informal gathering with your fellow Capitol Club National Summit delegates.

October 30, 2011

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Opening Plenary

Featuring

    Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
    The Honorable Avi Dichter, Member of Knesset, Kadima
    Mr. Elliot Abrams, Former Deputy National Security Advisor
    Mr. Dan Senor, Co-Author of Start-Up Nation

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Lunch

Sample some classic Southwestern fare as you mingle and get to know other AIPAC activists from around the country.

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Click here to view a list of sessions

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Breakout Sessions: Sunday II

Click here to view a list of sessions

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Gala Banquet

Featuring

    Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
    Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
    Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)
    Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
    Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ)
    Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ)
    Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)
    Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA)
    Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV)

October 31, 2011

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Breakfast Plenary

Featuring

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Breakout Sessions: Monday Morning

Click here to view a list of sessions

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Closing Lunch Plenary

Featuring

    Ambassador John Bolton, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
    Rabbi Harold Kushner
    Paul Begala, CNN Analyst
    Bill Kristol, Editor of The Weekly Standard
    Mike Murphy, NBC News
    Ann Lewis, No Limits Foundation

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:15 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Issue Brief - An Iron-Clad Defense

U.S. congressional funding allowed Israel to deploy the state-of-the-art Iron Dome mobile air defense system last March. Placed along Israel's volatile border with Gaza, the Israeli-developed system has intercepted deadly Hamas rocket attacks and is saving lives. Learn more about this remarkable Israeli technology.

Featuring

Dr. Ari Sacher
Project Manager, Rafael

Issue Brief - A Qualitative Military Edge

Over the past year, President Obama and the U.S. Congress have reaffirmed America's policy of maintaining Israel's Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the Middle East. During a period of unprecedented threats and change in the region, how critical is Israel's military superiority to the safety and security of the Jewish state?

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Issue Brief - China, Russia and the Middle East

In recent years, both Russia and China have increased their political and economic involvement throughout the Middle East. The result has been a set of foreign policies that often counter America's core strategies in this volatile region. How should the United States approach Russian and Chinese involvement in the region?

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Adelman
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver

Issue Brief - Deciphering Damascus

For eleven years, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has violently suppressed all forms of civil dissent in his country while increasing ties with Iran and supporting terrorist groups. What impact will recent events have on the Assad regime? Can it survive? Andrew Tabler, the author of the newly released book, "In the Lion's Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle with Syria," has the first-hand experience to answer these questions, and any others you may have, about the state of affairs in Syria.

Featuring

Mr. Andrew Tabler
Next Generation Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Hizballah's Hold on Lebanon

The Iranian-backed terrorist group Hizballah has evolved into one of the most powerful political and military forces in Lebanon today—cementing the Islamic Republic's footprint in the region. How will the United States and Israel deal with Lebanon?

Featuring

Ms. Mara Karlin
Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS; Levant Analyst

Issue Brief - How Foreign Policy Is Crafted

Join this simulation of a meeting between the White House National Security Council and senior congressional leaders as they debate how to handle some of the country's greatest foreign policy challenges. Participants will not only face the complexity of national security issues, but will better understand the multiplicity of views and players in foreign policy decision-making, as well.

Featuring

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran

For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has brutally cracked down on all forms of political dissent. With revolutionary conflicts raging throughout the region, how long can the regime in Tehran continue to survive?

Featuring

Mr. Ali Alfoneh
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Issue Brief - Israel at the U.N.

From delegitimization to disproportionate scrutiny of its defensive actions, Israel has faced an uphill battle at the United Nations for decades. Now, 64 years after the U.N. voted for the creation of a Jewish state, what is Israel doing to ensure fair treatment at the world body?

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Issue Brief - Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

Israeli cooperation with the Palestinians has led to record economic growth in the West Bank, as well as improved security in the territory. What impact will Fatah's recent agreement with Hamas and their refusal to engage in direct negotiations with Israel have on this cooperation?

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

Issue Brief - Palestinian Provocations

From Fatah-Hamas unity talks and the pursuit of a unilateral declaration of statehood to rocket attacks and border skirmishes, the Palestinians have unleashed a wave of provocations against the Jewish state. What's next?

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer
Vice President for Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Issue Brief - Presidents and Prime Ministers

Since 1948, successive American presidents and Israeli prime ministers have been at the forefront of the U.S.-Israel partnership. This session analyzes the historic relationships between leaders of both countries, from Truman and Ben-Gurion to Obama and Netanyahu.

Featuring

Ambassador Yehuda Avner
Former Advisor to Israel's Prime Ministers; Former Israeli Ambassador to Australia and the United Kingdom; Fellow, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Issue Brief - Refocusing on Iran

With the Middle East and North Africa in turmoil, some experts believe that the world has lost its focus on Iran's illicit nuclear program. Are global powers doing all they can to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability?

Featuring

Dr. Michael Makovsky
Foreign Policy Director, Bipartisan Policy Center

Issue Brief - Syrian Fallout

The regime of Bashar Assad is struggling to remain in power following months of violent civil unrest in Syria. As the international community continues to question the legitimacy of Assad's rule, what does the current upheaval mean for neighboring Israel?

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Issue Brief - The Arab Earthquake

From Tunisia to Bahrain, the Arab world has undergone a seismic political shift over the past year, countering decades of authoritarian rule. Will democracy truly find a home in the Arab world or is the future far murkier?

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Issue Brief - The Case for Foreign Aid

The United States faces enormous challenges to its security and economic well-being. America's military leaders have warned that the country cannot meet these challenges through military spending alone. U.S. leadership around the globe depends on a robust foreign aid budget—this session explains why.

Featuring

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Turkey's Precarious Path

This past spring, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party won a third term in office—making him Turkey's longest serving prime minister. How will Erdogan's victory affect already strained relations between Turkey and Israel? Will the one-time model of Islamic democracy continue to embrace the anti-Western regimes of Syria and Iran?

Featuring

Dr. Soner Cagaptay
Director, Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

One on One - AIPAC on Campus

Pro-Israel students have emerged as a potent political force throughout the United States. This in-depth conversation explores current campus trends and forecasts challenges and opportunities.

Moderator

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

One on One - Global Delegitimization

From the United Nations to other international organizations, the campaign to delegitimize Israel is proliferating around the globe. How can Israel ensure fair treatment in international fora when its mere existence is often questioned?

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society
The Honorable David Siegel
Consul General of Israel, Los Angeles

Moderator

Mr. Stephen Schneider
Director, International Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With New Realities

The rapid transformation of the Middle East has left America and Israel with myriad unanswered questions and a host of potential security challenges. How will Israel and the United States adapt long-standing strategies to new regional realities?

Featuring

Mr. Ilan Berman
Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

Moderator

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Palestinian Leadership Dilemma

Instead of negotiating peace with Israel, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has embraced the forces of radicalism and the terrorist group Hamas. Is this a sign of where Palestinian leadership is headed?

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Race for the White House

With only one year to go until the 2012 presidential election, the race for the White House is in full swing. This panel examines the potential candidates for America's highest office and what their candidacy could mean for the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Featuring

Dr. Whit Ayers
President, Ayres, McHenry, & Associates Inc.
Ms. Ann Lewis
President, No Limits Foundation

Moderator

Mr. Robert Bassin
National Political Director, AIPAC

One on One - The Future of Zionism

In 1902, the founder of modern Zionism, Theodore Herzl, wrote, "If you will it, it is no dream." Forty-six years later, Herzl's dream of a modern Jewish state in ancient Israel became a reality. This session delves into the history of modern Zionism and examines its relevancy today in Israel, the United States and the Diaspora.

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Moderator

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

One on One - Uncovering the Real Egypt

With revolutionary transformation in Egypt this year, many of the assumptions about this once reliable Western ally have completely changed. What is the new reality in Egypt? Where is the country headed, and where do its people hope the nation will go?

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Moderator

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Make your commitment to AIPAC a permanent one. AIPAC's endowment team will be in the Legacy Lounge during all breakout sessions to explore with you various planned giving options that might be most advantageous for your estate, including bequests, life insurance and retirement assets. Legacy gifts can be made both charitably and non-charitably to benefit both you and AIPAC.

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

Breakout Sessions: Sunday II

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:10 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Sunday II

Issue Brief - An Iron-Clad Defense

Featuring

Dr. Ari Sacher
Project Manager, Rafael

Issue Brief - A Qualitative Military Edge

Over the past year, President Obama and the U.S. Congress have reaffirmed America's policy of maintaining Israel's Qualitative Military Edge (Q.M.E.) in the Middle East. During a period of unprecedented threats and change in the region, how critical is Israel's military superiority to the safety and security of the Jewish state?

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Issue Brief - China, Russia and the Middle East

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Adelman
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver

Issue Brief - Deciphering Damascus

Featuring

Mr. Andrew Tabler
Next Generation Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Hizballah's Hold on Lebanon

Featuring

Ms. Mara Karlin
Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS; Levant Analyst

Issue Brief - How Foreign Policy Is Crafted

Featuring

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran

Featuring

Mr. Ali Alfoneh
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Issue Brief - Israel at the U.N.

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Issue Brief - Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

Issue Brief - Palestinian Provocations

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer
Vice President for Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Issue Brief - Presidents and Prime Ministers

Featuring

Ambassador Yehuda Avner
Former Advisor to Israel's Prime Ministers; Former Israeli Ambassador to Australia and the United Kingdom; Fellow, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Issue Brief - Refocusing on Iran

Featuring

Dr. Michael Makovsky
Foreign Policy Director, Bipartisan Policy Center

Issue Brief - Syrian Fallout

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Issue Brief - The Arab Earthquake

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Issue Brief - The Case for Foreign Aid

Featuring

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Turkey's Precarious Path

Featuring

Dr. Soner Cagaptay
Director, Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

One on One - AIPAC on Campus

Pro-Israel students have emerged as a potent political force throughout the United States. This in-depth conversation explores current campus trends and forecasts challenges and opportunities.

Moderator

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

One on One - Global Delegitimization Campaign

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society
The Honorable David Siegel
Consul General of Israel, Los Angeles

Moderator

Mr. Stephen Schneider
Director, International Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With New Realities

Featuring

Mr. Ilan Berman
Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

Moderator

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Palestinian Leadership Dilemma

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Race for the White House

Featuring

Dr. Whit Ayers
President, Ayres, McHenry, & Associates Inc.
Ms. Ann Lewis
President, No Limits Foundation

Moderator

Mr. Robert Bassin
National Political Director, AIPAC

One on One - The Future of Zionism

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Moderator

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

One on One - Uncovering the Real Egypt

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Moderator

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

Breakout Sessions: Monday Morning

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:05 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Monday Morning

Issue Brief - Answering the Tough Questions

Pro-Israel activists deal with challenging questions all of the time. If you've ever struggled to answer the tough questions about Israel, the Middle East or U.S. foreign policy, this is your opportunity to get the vital information you need. You ask the questions, and we'll provide the background, insight and information.

Featuring

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Building New Alliances

As geopolitical realities in the Middle East and Mediterranean evolve, so, too, do Israel's strategic relations in the region. While the Jewish state's ties with Turkey have strained in recent years, its alliances with Greece and former Eastern Bloc states have strengthened. This session explores new directions in Israel's foreign relations.

Featuring

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

After officially being banned from Egyptian politics for decades, the Muslim Brotherhood is vying to increase its influence in the nation's post-Mubarak-era government. How dangerous is the Brotherhood's rise to power?

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Issue Brief - Final Status Issues

For years, politicians and pundits alike have referred to "final status issues" between Israel and the Palestinians as previously understood goal posts already recognized by both parties. But are they? If negotiations resume, what exactly are the "final status issues" at play, and how do Israelis and Palestinians view them differently?

Featuring

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Freedom From Oil

As recent events in the Middle East have illustrated, much of the world's oil sits beneath the sands of highly unstable nations—a chief national security vulnerability for the West and one felt acutely by Israel. How is the Jewish state working to break its dependence on oil? What role can Israel's recently discovered natural gas fields play, and what are the prospects of Israel becoming a new energy player?

Featuring

Dr. Gal Luft
Director, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security

Issue Brief - Israel, America's Strategic Partner

As the political and military landscape continues to change throughout the Middle East, Israel remains America's most stable ally in the region. This session explores the multiple layers of the strategic partnership between the United States and Israel and examines why strengthening that relationship is in the vital national interest of both countries.

Featuring

Dr. Marvin Feuer
Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Israel and the "Arab Spring"

The so-called "Arab Spring" has transformed Israel's backyard into a wilderness of uncertainty. How will changing dynamics in the region affect Israeli security and foreign policy, as well as its quest for peace with its neighbors?

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Issue Brief - Prospects for Peace

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly refused to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, instead forming an alliance with the terrorist group Hamas. What is the prospect for peace, given the Palestinians' recent provocative actions?

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Races and Faces of 2012

Congressional races are heating up as America heads closer to the 2012 general election. This exclusive briefing explores the races and faces of an election that could reshape American policy in the Middle East.

Featuring

Mr. Edward Miller
Deputy National Political Director, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Sanctioning Tehran

Iran is feeling the impact of sanctions targeting its illegal nuclear weapons program—yet the Islamic Republic continues to head down the wrong path. How vulnerable is Tehran to tougher sanctions? How does the West proceed?

Featuring

Mr. Avi Jorisch
Founder and President, Red Cell Intelligence Group

Issue Brief - The Campaign Against Israel in Europe

More than six decades after Israel's birth, the campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state across Europe continues. Whether it's new approaches to boycott Israel or old accusations equating Zionism with racism, the goal of these anti-Israel activities is to disrupt and dismantle cooperation between Israel and Europe. This session examines the ongoing campaign against Israel throughout the European continent.

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society

Issue Brief - The Iran, Lebanon, Hizballah Nexus

Iran continues to expand its sphere of influence in Lebanon, through its proxy terrorist army Hizballah. Can Lebanon free itself from Iranian domination? How can U.S. policy effect change along Israel's northern frontier?

Featuring

Mr. Michael Totten
Journalist and Author, The Road to Fatima Gate: The Beirut Spring, the Rise of Hezbollah and the Iranian War Against Israel

Issue Brief - The Jerusalem Factor

Jerusalem is treasured by the world's three biggest monotheistic religions, but the Holy City's Jewish connection and centrality to Israel's identity is unique. This session unearths Jerusalem's ancient Jewish history and forecasts its future.

Featuring

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

Issue Brief - The Pakistan Predicament

Pakistan has a radicalized Muslim population; shares borders with Iran, Afghanistan and India; and holds an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Recently, the world learned that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been living for years down the street from the Pakistani Military Academy. How have recent events affected Washington's complicated relationship with Islamabad and its goals in the region?

Featuring

Dr. Aparna Pande
Research Fellow, Hudson Institute

Issue Brief - The Palestinian Street

From the West Bank to Gaza, Palestinian society has undergone significant shifts over the past year. While economically, the West Bank has surged, Palestinian political leaders have taken a less positive path. How do Palestinians currently view their future—do they seek peace, economic growth or a return to violence?

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

One on One - Broad Pro-Israel Support

Israel is not just an issue of concern to the Jewish community. Americans from all backgrounds are becoming involved in the pro-Israel movement. Our panel explains why Latinos, African Americans and religiously motivated pro-Israel Christians support the U.S.-Israel relationship and how they are expressing their support.

Moderator

Mr. Jeff Mendelsohn
National Outreach Director, AIPAC

One on One - Israel's Place in the World

Israel's best and brightest are using their innovative spirit to create cutting-edge breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, high technology and energy. These Israeli-made solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues are being used in countries around the globe, from Africa to Asia and beyond. How has this affected the Jewish state's image on the international stage?

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Moderator

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With an Atomic Iran

What would the Middle East and the world look like if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon? What would it mean for global stability? These are questions many in the West are asking as Iran presses ahead with its illicit nuclear program.

Featuring

Dr. Orde Kittrie
Professor of Law, Arizona State University; Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Visiting Scholar, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS

Moderator

Mr. Charles Perkins
Assistant Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Missile Defense

The head of the Pentagon's missile defense agency recently announced that jointly developed U.S.-Israeli missile defense systems will be used to protect U.S. military bases throughout the Middle East. This session explores why missile defense cooperation is an essential pillar of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Moderator

Mr. Jeff Kuhnreich
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Peace and Reconciliation

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor
Dr. Aaron David Miller
Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Moderator

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

One on One - Unilateral Palestinian Statehood

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

AIPAC Near You

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:10:36 -0400

Strong Allies

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:10:24 -0400

These threats range from terrorism, the spread of radical Islamist ideology and nuclear and missile proliferation to narcotics, counterfeiting and cyberwarfare. Israel is a reliable democratic ally that shares America’s values and worldview in a region often dominated by radical forces, dictatorial regimes and extremist non-state actors.

With no other country in the region—and few in the entire world—does the United States share the same high level of strategic cooperation. American-Israeli cooperation begins with frequent high-level strategic dialogues among senior political and military leaders and extends to combined military planning and exercises, intelligence-sharing and technological development. The expanding network of American and Israeli military and intelligence coordination has provided a powerful deterrent to those in the Middle East who seek to harm either country. The historic alliance between the United States and Israel is the most stabilizing feature in an otherwise unstable region of the world.

Israel’s presence in the region provides a de facto cost-effective guarantor of security well beyond its borders. Furthermore, Israel’s military strength and central geo-strategic location provide a strong deterrent against Iran and other radical forces that threaten America, its allies and regional and global U.S. objectives.

President Obama has voiced a similar view on the importance of this relationship: “Many of the same forces that threaten Israel also threaten the United States and our efforts to secure peace and stability in the Middle East. Our alliance with Israel serves our national security interests.”

Technology & Innovation

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:10:16 -0400

The United States and Israel share a culture of innovation. American heavyweights such as Intel, Motorola and Google have capitalized on Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit and worldclass talent pool, establishing major R&D centers throughout the country. With the most Ph.D.s and published scientific papers per capita in the world, Israel has become the preeminent foreign outpost for computer technology, telecommunications and software industries, with roughly 100 U.S. companies active in Israel. More Israeli companies are traded on the NASDAQ than any country outside the United States and China.

In 2006, esteemed investor Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway made its first-ever foreign acquisition, buying 80 percent of Iscar, an Israeli maker of precision blades and drills. When asked the reason for his interest in Israel—which, only weeks earlier, had fought a war with Hizballah in Lebanon—Buffet’s response pointed to the spirit that marks the economic drive of both the United States and Israel: “[Israel] had no advantages 50 years ago.... What they brought was brains and energy and look how it paid off…. They are the best that I’ve seen.”

Israeli Businesses Invest Heavily in U.S. Economy

Israeli companies have increasingly looked to opportunities in the United States, investing more than $50 billion between 2000 and 2009. Israel is among the top 20 suppliers of direct investment into the United States. In fact, Israelis invested more than $7 billion in 2009 alone. This sum marked an increase in U.S.-directed investment immediately following the global financial crisis, when many throughout the world were looking inward.

Trade delegations from Colorado, Ohio and Connecticut, among others, have visited Israel to strengthen ties. States such as Virginia and Maryland have established offices at home to help bring Israeli companies to their communities.

Twenty U.S. states maintain offices in Israel, and Ohio’s Department of Development Tel Aviv office provides a strong example of the benefits that such trade can yield. In 2007, the office helped bring 20 Israeli companies to the Cleveland suburbs, creating stable, highpaying jobs in the local economy.

Breakout 3

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:22:18 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Monday Morning

Issue Brief - Answering the Tough Questions

Featuring

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Building New Alliances

Featuring

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Issue Brief - Final Status Issues

Featuring

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Freedom From Oil

Featuring

Dr. Gal Luft
Director, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security

Issue Brief - Israel, America's Strategic Partner

Featuring

Dr. Marvin Feuer
Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Israel and the "Arab Spring"

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Issue Brief - Prospects for Peace

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Races and Faces of 2012

Featuring

Mr. Edward Miller
Deputy National Political Director, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Sanctioning Tehran

Featuring

Mr. Avi Jorisch
Founder and President, Red Cell Intelligence Group

Issue Brief - The Campaign Against Israel in Europe

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society

Issue Brief - The Iran, Lebanon, Hizballah Nexus

Featuring

Mr. Michael Totten
Journalist and Author, The Road to Fatima Gate: The Beirut Spring, the Rise of Hezbollah and the Iranian War Against Israel

Issue Brief - The Jerusalem Factor

Featuring

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

Issue Brief - The Pakistan Predicament

Featuring

Dr. Aparna Pande
Research Fellow, Hudson Institute

Issue Brief - The Palestinian Street

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

One on One - Broad Pro-Israel Support

Moderator

Mr. Jeff Mendelsohn
National Outreach Director, AIPAC

One on One - Israel's Place in the World

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Moderator

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With an Atomic Iran

Featuring

Dr. Orde Kittrie
Professor of Law, Arizona State University; Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Visiting Scholar, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS

Moderator

Mr. Charles Perkins
Assistant Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Missile Defense

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Moderator

Mr. Jeff Kuhnreich
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Peace and Reconciliation

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor
Dr. Aaron David Miller
Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Moderator

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

One on One - Unilateral Palestinian Statehood

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

Breakout 2

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:11:29 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Sunday II

Issue Brief - An Iron-Clad Defense

Featuring

Dr. Ari Sacher
Project Manager, Rafael

Issue Brief - A Qualitative Military Edge

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Issue Brief - China, Russia and the Middle East

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Adelman
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver

Issue Brief - Deciphering Damascus

Featuring

Mr. Andrew Tabler
Next Generation Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Hizballah's Hold on Lebanon

Featuring

Ms. Mara Karlin
Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS; Levant Analyst

Issue Brief - How Foreign Policy Is Crafted

Featuring

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran

Featuring

Mr. Ali Alfoneh
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Issue Brief - Israel at the U.N.

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Issue Brief - Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

Issue Brief - Palestinian Provocations

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer
Vice President for Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Issue Brief - Presidents and Prime Ministers

Featuring

Ambassador Yehuda Avner
Former Advisor to Israel's Prime Ministers; Former Israeli Ambassador to Australia and the United Kingdom; Fellow, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Issue Brief - Refocusing on Iran

Featuring

Dr. Michael Makovsky
Foreign Policy Director, Bipartisan Policy Center

Issue Brief - Syrian Fallout

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Issue Brief - The Arab Earthquake

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Issue Brief - The Case for Foreign Aid

Featuring

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Turkey's Precarious Path

Featuring

Dr. Soner Cagaptay
Director, Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

One on One - AIPAC on Campus

Pro-Israel students have emerged as a potent political force throughout the United States. This in-depth conversation explores current campus trends and forecasts challenges and opportunities.

Moderator

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

One on One - Global Delegitimization Campaign

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society
The Honorable David Siegel
Consul General of Israel, Los Angeles

Moderator

Mr. Stephen Schneider
Director, International Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With New Realities

Featuring

Mr. Ilan Berman
Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

Moderator

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Palestinian Leadership Dilemma

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Race for the White House

Featuring

Dr. Whit Ayers
President, Ayres, McHenry, & Associates Inc.
Ms. Ann Lewis
President, No Limits Foundation

Moderator

Mr. Robert Bassin
National Political Director, AIPAC

One on One - The Future of Zionism

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Moderator

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

One on One - Uncovering the Real Egypt

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Moderator

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

Breakout 1

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:07:23 -0400

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Issue Brief - An Iron-Clad Defense

Featuring

Dr. Ari Sacher
Project Manager, Rafael

Issue Brief - A Qualitative Military Edge

Featuring

Mr. Yaakov Katz
Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, The Jerusalem Post

Issue Brief - China, Russia and the Middle East

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Adelman
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver

Issue Brief - Deciphering Damascus

Featuring

Mr. Andrew Tabler
Next Generation Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Issue Brief - Hizballah's Hold on Lebanon

Featuring

Ms. Mara Karlin
Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University-SAIS; Levant Analyst

Issue Brief - How Foreign Policy Is Crafted

Featuring

Mr. Jeffrey Colman
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran

Featuring

Mr. Ali Alfoneh
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Issue Brief - Israel at the U.N.

Featuring

Mr. Eliav Benjamin
Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of Israel

Issue Brief - Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

Featuring

Dr. Robert Danin
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Head of Mission for the Quartet in Jerusalem

Issue Brief - Palestinian Provocations

Featuring

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer
Vice President for Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Issue Brief - Presidents and Prime Ministers

Featuring

Ambassador Yehuda Avner
Former Advisor to Israel's Prime Ministers; Former Israeli Ambassador to Australia and the United Kingdom; Fellow, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Issue Brief - Refocusing on Iran

Featuring

Dr. Michael Makovsky
Foreign Policy Director, Bipartisan Policy Center

Issue Brief - Syrian Fallout

Featuring

Mr. Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Issue Brief - The Arab Earthquake

Featuring

Dr. Tal Becker
International Associate, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Senior Fellow, Hartman Institute for Contemporary Jewish Thought

Issue Brief - The Case for Foreign Aid

Featuring

Ms. Ester Kurz
Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

Issue Brief - Turkey's Precarious Path

Featuring

Dr. Soner Cagaptay
Director, Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

One on One - AIPAC on Campus

Pro-Israel students have emerged as a potent political force throughout the United States. This in-depth conversation explores current campus trends and forecasts challenges and opportunities.

Moderator

Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

One on One - Global Delegitimization

Featuring

Dr. Alan Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society
The Honorable David Siegel
Consul General of Israel, Los Angeles

Moderator

Mr. Stephen Schneider
Director, International Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Living With New Realities

Featuring

Mr. Ilan Berman
Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

Moderator

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Palestinian Leadership Dilemma

Featuring

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Program on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Moderator

Mr. David Gillette
Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

One on One - Race for the White House

Featuring

Dr. Whit Ayers
President, Ayres, McHenry, & Associates Inc.
Ms. Ann Lewis
President, No Limits Foundation

Moderator

Mr. Robert Bassin
National Political Director, AIPAC

One on One - The Future of Zionism

Featuring

Mr. Yossi Klein Halevi
Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute; Contributing Editor, The New Republic

Moderator

Mr. Tom Sawicki
Director of Programming, Jerusalem Office, AIPAC

One on One - Uncovering the Real Egypt

Featuring

Dr. Steven Cook
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Moderator

Dr. Raphael Danziger
Senior Research Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Featuring

Ms. Jodi Kurtis
Endowment Director, The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign

Why Israel Matters

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:44:30 -0400

Rabbi Steven Weil

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:54:25 -0400

Rabbi Steven Weil officially began his second year as Chief Executive Officer of the Orthodox Union on July 1, 2010. Rabbi Weil came to the OU from his position as Senior Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills, which is the largest Orthodox congregation outside the metropolitan New York area.

The Orthodox Union is the umbrella organization for hundreds of Orthodox synagogues in the United States and Canada. It is a world leader in community and synagogue services, outreach, youth work through NCSY, adult education, political action, and advocacy for persons with disabilities. Its kosher certification label is the world's most recognized kosher symbol.

Rabbi Weil attended Yeshiva University, where he earned a degree in health sciences. He continued his studies in YU at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, where he earned his rabbinical ordination while obtaining an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Rabbi Weil assumed his first pulpit, at the Young Israel of Oak Park in suburban Detroit, an Orthodox Union-member synagogue. Within a year, he had doubled the size of the congregation and introduced many new social and educational programs.

In August of 2000, Rabbi Weil assumed the role of spiritual leader at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, also an OU congregation. Over the next eight years, the synagogue grew by more than 400 families. A gifted fundraiser, he provided a master plan for Beth Jacob’s growth and emphasized serious Torah learning on all levels.

In his travels and speeches he emphasizes that the Orthodox world in its Torah observance must devote itself to complete honesty in its business and financial practices, precepts that are increasingly emphasized in OU programming.

Israel Around the World

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:00:18 -0400

Equipped with firsthand knowledge of the challenges that resource-poor countries face, Israel has strived to provide other countries with the assistance they need to develop and grow. Before it had even established embassies in many world capitals, Israel sent experts abroad to teach developing nations such skills as how to upgrade medical facilities, improve schools and coax crops from arid land. Today, Israel has one of the most extensive foreign assistance programs in the world for a nation of its size.

Israelis are all too familiar with the reality of genocide. In both the Rwandan and Sudanese genocides, Israel provided humanitarian assistance to the refugees. In Rwanda, Israel established a field hospital and sent several doctors and nurses as wells as medical supplies and vaccinations. Israel has also dispersed $5 million to aid Sudanese refugees.

In more than two dozen recent cases, Israel has contributed to relief efforts after earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters. For example, Israel sent medicine, water, food and other supplies to Sri Lanka after the tsunami in 2004. The next year, Israel also sent humanitarian aid and equipment to New Orleans for victims of Hurricane Katrina. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Israel sent a comprehensive hospital team that set the standard for treating victims of a natural disaster in a speedy and humane manner.

Since 1959, Israel has maintained numerous medical outreach programs, including eye clinics in developing countries. Israel’s eye clinics have operated for decades in Nepal, Mauritania, Tonga, Liberia and Micronesia.

How We Work

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:57:45 -0400

More than 100,000 citizens from across the country work with AIPAC staff to strengthen the bonds between the United States and the Jewish state. AIPAC members in all 50 states are encouraged to be politically active and develop relationships with their members of Congress to help educate them about the importance of U.S.-Israel ties.

While building support in Washington is essential, AIPAC is found wherever the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship could be affected. AIPAC has a network of 10 regional offices and seven satellite offices that help pro-Israel activists from Missoula to Miami learn how they can affect Israel's future and security by promoting strong ties with the United States.

Pro-Israel advocacy and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship is a cause that concerns a broad spectrum of Americans. AIPAC professionals work with Synagogues and Churches to promote pro-Israel advocacy throughout their congregations. African American and Hispanic leaders work with AIPAC staff and their members of Congress to ensure that America supports our ally in the Middle East.

AIPAC also works on hundreds of college and high school campuses, empowering and educating student activists to answer Israel's detractors and how to use political involvement to build support for Israel.

Israel's Achievements

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:44:56 -0400

Israeli Technology Advances Key Agricultural Techniques

Because Israel is 60 percent desert, its farmers and agricultural scientists have long focused on expanding both the yield and quality of crops, as well as making agriculture more efficient overall.

Drip irrigation has become popular with fruit and vegetable growers in dry weather areas, from Southern California to the Middle East. The world’s first surface drip irrigation system was developed in the 1960s at Kibbutz Hatzerim near Beersheba. Similarly, Israeli scientists have developed genetically modified, disease-resistant bananas, peppers and other crops that are expanding the world’s food supply and helping to keep prices down at grocery stores around the globe.

Israeli Doctors Have Developed Life-Saving Treatments and Drugs

Throughout Israel’s history, Israeli doctors, scientists and researchers have produced countless medical advances. Whether achieved through independent research or joint projects with the United States, the medical discoveries made by the Jewish state are improving the lives of millions of Americans and others around the globe. Click here to learn more.

Israeli High-Tech Developments Are Used Around the World

Israel’s high-tech civil innovations have left an important mark on homes, offices and businesses around the world.

Many offices now have computerized phones that plug into the Internet, taking advantage of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. VocalTec Communications of Herzliya, Israel, developed the first practical Internet phone software. Similarly, those who enjoy chatting with friends over the Internet might be interested to know that this online phenomenon originated in Israel. Although the technology now belongs to AOL, Israel’s Mirabilis developed the first popular Internet chat program, ICQ.

Every day, millions of Americans watch online streaming video for entertainment or educational purposes. Metacafe, the world’s third-most-popular video sharing website, was founded in Israel. Likewise, tech-savvy Americans over age 30 remember the original IBM Personal Computer of the early 1980s. What they may not know is that its brain, the Intel 8088 processor, was developed by Intel’s Israel division. More recently, the Pentium M series of processors for laptop computers using the Intel Centrino platform, as well as some of Intel’s latest processors (Yonah, Merom, Woodcrest), were also designed by Intel Israel. In addition, Amazon.com’s Kindle e-reader owes much of its success to technology developed in Israel.

Israel Contributes to a Cleaner World

In an era of booming populations, shrinking resources and environmental degradation, Israel leads the world in such critical fields as solar power generation and seawater desalination. As nations struggle to make the best use of their resources, Israel’s cuttingedge technologies promise to improve the health and living standards of hundreds of millions across the globe, while making industry more efficient and minimizing the environmental impact of human activities.

Israel’s plan to break from gasoline dependence is providing structure and predictability to the marketplace, combining long-term public sector commitment with regulatory stability to send a clear message that innovation will have a home in Israel. Through investments in basic science and industrial R&D, and the launching of pilot programs and full scale-ups for promising technology, Israel is taking the lead in confronting one of the most pressing security issues of our time. A country of under 8 million people, Israel alone cannot end gasoline’s global monopoly nor end the West’s dependence on hostile petro-regimes. But together with international partners, Israel can serve as a generator of intellectual property and a test-bed for innovative solutions, challenging the economic and security vulnerability that the United States and Israel both face through gasoline dependence.

Israel has also set a national goal consistent with the Copenhagen Accord to increase its share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 10 percent by 2020. In the same period of time, Israel plans to reduce its electricity consumption by 20 percent.

Strategic Planning

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:37:25 -0400

High-Level Meetings

Military cooperation between the United States and Israel was formalized in 1983. Since then, both countries have created a number of high level cooperative groups which meet regularly to discuss shared threats and develop joint solutions. These groups include the Joint Political Military Group, the Defense Policy Advisory Group and the Strategic Dialogue Group. In June 2010, the Defense Policy Advisory Group met in Tel Aviv where both countries discussed mutual threats including Iran and terrorism.

Intelligence Sharing

One of the most significant contributions Israel has made to U.S. security has been sharing intelligence—an intense and daily element of cooperation which, for the most part, is conducted far from the public eye. The U.S. military and various intelligence agencies rely on Israel for human intelligence—including information about terrorism, radical Islamic movements and weapons proliferation.

Military Exchanges

Each year, units from every branch of the U.S. military visit Israel for in-depth training. From educating soldiers about understanding the terrorist mindset to utilizing Israeli air ranges, Israeli training provides an invaluable opportunity for American forces.

From America’s West Point to Israel’s National Defense College, hundreds of soldiers attend each country’s professional military training institutions each year where they receive advanced training in a variety of specialized areas.

Missile Defense

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:37:06 -0400

Jointly developed by the two allies, the Arrow is among the world’s most sophisticated missile shields. It is the only operational system that has consistently proven that one missile can shoot down another at high altitudes and supersonic speeds. Israel and the United States are also collaborating on the development of a quickreaction defense system, known as David’s Sling, to address the threats posed by short- and medium-range missiles and rockets.

Similarly, Israel has developed the Iron Dome rocket defense system. Israeli civilians living in cities such as Sderot have been victimized by more than 7,000 indiscriminate rocket and mortar attacks. The Iron Dome, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, uses small radar-guided missiles to blow up incoming Katyusha-style rockets. Recognizing the value of this system, the Obama administration requested, and Congress approved, $205 million to help Israel fund Iron Dome. The system has proven to be a tremendous success and has shot down incoming rockets targeting Israeli schools, homes and communities--saving countless civilian lives.

A centerpiece of the interaction between the two militaries has been combined missile defense training, including the biannual Juniper Cobra exercise. In this maneuver, U.S. and Israeli forces practice cooperative tactics to counter the growing threat from ballistic missiles and long-range rockets.

Protecting Our Troops

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:36:59 -0400

Advanced Medical Training and Products

Israeli battlefield medical expertise has increased the survival rate of severely injured U.S. combat troops through both training and previously unavailable medical products. Beyond providing hardware, Israel is also sharing information with U.S. military doctors who are researching efforts to mitigate the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the psychological issues challenging amputees during rehabilitation.

Posttraumatic Stress

An unprecedented number of U.S. troops are returning home from combat with Posttraumatic Stress (PTS)—a condition that can have a long-term physical and psychological impact. Accordingly, the U.S. military has turned to its partners in Israel to help train and prepare soldiers for their tours of duty and address the causes of PTS before any symptoms reveal themselves.

Dr. Edna Foa, an Israeli professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has developed a recuperation method known as Prolonged Exposure (PE). The treatment was created by Foa during the 2000 Palestinian Intifada as Israeli forces were exposed to the trauma of war. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has embraced PE, putting the protocol into wide use and implementing programs to teach it across the various armed services. So far, about 1,200 clinicians in the U.S. Veterans system have been trained in PE.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Litening Targeting Pod

The American military routinely deploys Israeli-developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have logged thousands of hours in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. planes in both countries have been equipped with the Litening targeting pod, a system of Israeli-origin with infrared sensors that identify ground targets and enable pilots to fly at night and in bad weather. The Litening made it possible for American fighter pilots to deliver the munitions that eliminated al-Qaeda’s top leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles and IED Protection

Israeli-developed reactive armor tiles, which explode outward upon impact, protect American armored personnel carriers in Iraq, saving hundreds of soldiers from potential death or injury. America and Israel have also collaborated to reduce the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), increase the
accuracy and safety of multiple weapon systems and improve aircraft selfprotection and personnel safety.

Joint Military Exercises

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:36:46 -0400

Army Seeks to Expand U.S.-Israeli Joint Training

The U.S. Army is looking to increase cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and will hold one of the largest joint exercises in the two nations’ history in 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday. “We are looking to increase relations and to expand training,” said Lt.-Gen. Mark Hertling, commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, who is visiting Israel. He announced that the two armies will hold a massive ground forces exercise in May 2012 called “Austere Challenge.” The drill, which is unprecedented in its size, will seek to increase inter-operability between the IDF and the U.S. Army. Shortly before Austere Challenge, the United States and Israel are scheduled to conduct the Juniper Cobra missile defense exercise, which will include both the Arrow 2 and Iron Dome missile defense systems. Hertling also said that while he anticipated cuts to the U.S. Army’s budget, he did not believe it would have an effect on joint-training programs with the IDF.

Military Partnership

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:36:25 -0400

Fighting Terrorism

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:36:08 -0400

Aviation Security

The Transportation Security Administration and airport officials from around the United States have been working with world-renowed security experts at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport in order to learn how to efficiently improve airline security.

In March 2010, the United States and Israel signed an agreement to increase aviation security cooperation.
The two allies will conduct drills reviewing procedures in case of attacks and share codes that send immediate alerts if passengers try to commit acts of terror.

Police Cooperation

Israeli police forces train international peers in security procedures ranging from combating terrorism to preparing for mass casualty emergencies. Israel has worked with multiple American agencies, including the FBI, NYPD, LAPD, and Washington, D.C. Police Department. The U.S. Capitol Police have also undergone training in Israeli counterterrorism techniques.

Bioterrorism

American observers from FEMA and the National Guard often travel to Israel to participate in Israeli homeland security drills. In January 2010, Israel conducted a large-scale bio-terrorism drill simulating a smallpox outbreak caused by a terrorist attack. Since then, FEMA and the Israeli National Emergency Authority have signed a formal agreement to conduct more joint-training drills and exercises.

Emergency Management

FEMA and U.S. National Guard officials have traveled to Israel to study the Jewish state’s nation-wide emergency management drills and procedures. The drills replicate a multitude of disaster scenarios including natural disasters, biological disasters and emergencies at schools and hospitals. Lessons learned through the drills provide American officials invaluable intelligence, experience and knowledge.

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Pursuing Peace

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:35:49 -0400

1979

Direct talks lead to an historic agreement between Israel and Egypt. The Jewish state agrees to return the entire Sinai Peninsula, an area three times the size of Israel, to Egypt.

1993

Israel signs the Oslo Accords, which gives the Palestinians control of over 1,000 square miles of territory in Gaza and the West Bank in exchange for commitments to combat terrorism and recognize Israel’s right to exist.

1994

On the White House lawn, Israel’s Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan’s King Hussein sign a peace treaty, in which
Israel cedes territory in the Negev desert to the Hashemite Kingdom. President Bill Clinton helped broker the direct talks that led to the peace agreement.

2000

Palestinians reject a historic peace offer to establish a Palestinian state, which includes 96% of the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip.

2010

President Obama called a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab leaders. Netanyahu tells Abbas, “Together we can lead our people to a historic future that can put an end to claims and to conflict.” The Palestinian leader pulled out of the newly launched direct talks three weeks later.

2011

Despite repeated overtures by President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to discuss peace with Israel directly. Instead he is rejecting American calls to meet for direct talks and seeking to achieve a unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations.

Shared Values

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:35:23 -0400

The two countries have developed a resilient friendship, based in large part to an unshakable dedication to common values. Commitment to democracy, the rule of law, freedom of religion and speech and human rights are all core values shared between the United States and Israel.

Both nations were founded by refugees seeking political and religious freedom. Both were forced to fight for independence against foreign powers. Both have absorbed waves of immigrants seeking political freedom and economic well-being. And both have evolved into democracies that respect the rule of law, the will of voters and the rights of minorities.

Similarly, like the United States and in stark contrast to other Middle East nations, Israel has an independent judicial system, which protects the rights of individuals and operates under the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” Israel also features regularly scheduled elections that are free and fair and open to all its citizens, regardless of religion, race or sex. The independent group Freedom House has consistently classified Israel as “Free” in its rankings of world nations.

Israel Today

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:34:13 -0400

Israel Has a Vibrant Press and Legal System

Israel has a robust free press with myriad publications representing all views within its society; hundreds of foreign journalists are free to report on every political and diplomatic development. Civil rights are guaranteed by law, and guarded by numerous private organizations and citizens action groups that often openly challenge the government. Israel is considered to be the most advanced and tolerant country in the Middle East on such matters as the guarantee of a fair trial and the protection of minority rights. It is also the leading nation in the region in the protection of gay rights, with strong anti-discrimination laws. Furthermore, it maintains an independent judicial and court system. In Israel, nobody is above the law.

Israel Respects Freedom of Worship for All Religions

Israel’s Declaration of Independence explicitly guarantees the rights of religious minorities, and Israel’s Knesset has reaffirmed these rights by statute. In most Middle East countries, minority religious groups suffer from persecution and discrimination. In Israel, each faith has its own religious council and courts,
recognized by law, with jurisdiction over all religious affairs and matters of personal status.

Women Play a Vital Role in Israeli Society

Unlike any other Middle Eastern nation, women are at the forefront of many aspects of Israeli society. Israel has always had at least one woman on its Supreme Court, and Israel is the only country in the Middle East to elect a woman, Golda Meir, to the position of prime minister. Currently, the leader of the major opposition party is a woman who previously served as the country’s foreign minister.

Women have played an integral part in the founding and flourishing of the state. Regardless of religion or ethnicity, all women in Israel enjoy equal rights, protections under the law and opportunities to succeed and
contribute to society. From the founding of the state, women have long held important academic posts and leadership positions in government and served alongside their male counterparts in the defense of the state.

Quest for Statehood

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:33:57 -0400

The Zionists sought international backing for their quest to form a new political entity in the land of their ancestors—a sparsely populated desert wasteland described in the 1860s by Mark Twain as “a desolate country…given over wholly to weeds—a silent mournful expanse.”

In a major political victory for the Zionists, the British, with the support of Congress, issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917. In that Declaration, Great Britain pledged to facilitate the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. On that basis, the League of Nations awarded Britain the Mandate for Palestine in 1920.

In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states—one Arab and one Jewish. Even though more than half of the area allocated for the Jewish nation was desert, the Jewish community in Palestine immediately accepted the compromise. The Arabs rejected the plan, and five Arab armies invaded Israel, openly seeking to abort the creation of Israel.

The Holocaust

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:33:43 -0400

What Was The Holocaust?

In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. Most European Jews lived in countries that Nazi Germany would occupy or influence during World War II. By 1945, the Germans and their collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the "Final Solution," the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe. Although Jews, whom the Nazis deemed a priority danger to Germany, were the primary victims of Nazi racism, other victims included some 200,000 Roma (Gypsies). At least 200,000 mentally or physically disabled patients, mainly Germans, living in institutional settings, were murdered in the so-called Euthanasia Program.

As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe, the Germans and their collaborators persecuted and murdered millions of other people. Between two and three million Soviet prisoners of war were murdered or died of starvation, disease, neglect, or maltreatment. The Germans targeted the non-Jewish Polish intelligentsia for killing, and deported millions of Polish and Soviet civilians for forced labor in Germany or in occupied Poland, where these individuals worked and often died under deplorable conditions. From the earliest years of the Nazi regime, German authorities persecuted homosexuals and others whose behavior did not match prescribed social norms. German police officials targeted thousands of political opponents (including Communists, Socialists, and trade unionists) and religious dissidents (such as Jehovah's Witnesses). Many of these individuals died as a result of incarceration and maltreatment.

Administration of the "Final Solution"

In the early years of the Nazi regime, the National Socialist government established concentration camps to detain real and imagined political and ideological opponents. Increasingly in the years before the outbreak of war, SS and police officials incarcerated Jews, Roma, and other victims of ethnic and racial hatred in these camps. To concentrate and monitor the Jewish population as well as to facilitate later deportation of the Jews, the Germans and their collaborators created ghettos, transit camps, and forced-labor camps for Jews during the war years. The German authorities also established numerous forced-labor camps, both in the so-called Greater German Reich and in German-occupied territory, for non-Jews whose labor the Germans sought to exploit.

Following the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) and, later, militarized battalions of Order Police officials, moved behind German lines to carry out mass-murder operations against Jews, Roma, and Soviet state and Communist Party officials. German SS and police units, supported by units of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS, murdered more than a million Jewish men, women, and children, and hundreds of thousands of others. Between 1941 and 1944, Nazi German authorities deported millions of Jews from Germany, from occupied territories, and from the countries of many of its Axis allies to ghettos and to killing centers, often called extermination camps, where they were murdered in specially developed gassing facilities.

The End of The Holocaust

In the final months of the war, SS guards moved camp inmates by train or on forced marches, often called “death marches,” in an attempt to prevent the Allied liberation of large numbers of prisoners. As Allied forces moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Germany, they began to encounter and liberate concentration camp prisoners, as well as prisoners en route by forced march from one camp to another. The marches continued until May 7, 1945, the day the German armed forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. For the western Allies, World War II officially ended in Europe on the next day, May 8 (V-E Day), while Soviet forces announced their “Victory Day” on May 9, 1945.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, many of the survivors found shelter in displaced persons (DP) camps administered by the Allied powers. Between 1948 and 1951, almost 700,000 Jews emigrated to Israel, including 136,000 Jewish displaced persons from Europe. Other Jewish DPs emigrated to the United States and other nations. The last DP camp closed in 1957. The crimes committed during the Holocaust devastated most European Jewish communities and eliminated hundreds of Jewish communities in occupied eastern Europe entirely.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The Holocaust.” Holocaust Encyclopedia.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/?ModuleId=10005143. Accessed on August 18, 2011.

Jewish Oppression

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:56:11 -0400

70 CE

Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

855 CE

Jews were exiled from Italy.

1096

Crusaders massacre Jews in Europe.

1107

Moroccan Jews are forced to either convert to Islam or be expelled.

1290

England banishes all Jews.

1306

100,000 Jews are exiled from France.

1492

200,000 Jews are expelled during the Spanish Inquisition.

1582

Holland expels all Jews.

1903

Anti-Jewish mob attacks occur in Russia.

1939

The Holocaust begins.

Our History

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:21:56 -0400

AIPAC News

Hot Topic: May 18 - Missile Defense

Hot Topic: May 11 - AIPAC in Action

Hot Topic: May 4 - Israel, Our Ally

Hot Topic: April 26 - Israeli Independence Day

Privacy Policy

Hot Topic: April 20 - Iran Weapons Shipments

Hot Topic: April 13 - Talks With Iran

Our Mission

Hot Topic: March 30 - Energy Security

Hot Topic: April 5 - Bipartisanship

About AIPAC

Energy & Environment

Hot Topic: March 16 - Qassam Rockets

Hot Topic: March 23 - Nuclear Proliferation

National Summit

Biblical Heritage

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What We've Accomplished

Keeping America and Israel Secure

Sanctioning Iran

Working Together to Achieve Peace

Defending Citizens From Terrorist's Missiles

Ensuring Israel's Right to Self-Defense

Securing Our Homeland

Shabbaton Schedule

Friday, October 28, 2011

5:00PM

6:00PM

Saturday, October 29, 2011

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

9:00 AM

11:45 AM

12:15 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM

6:15 PM

2011 Program

October 29, 2011

3:00 PM

Registration Opens

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

A Night Under the Stars

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Capitol Club Dessert Reception

October 30, 2011

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Opening Plenary

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Breakout Sessions: Sunday II

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Gala Banquet

October 31, 2011

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Breakfast Plenary

11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Breakout Sessions: Monday Morning

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Closing Lunch Plenary

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Breakout Sessions: Sunday I

Issue Brief - An Iron-Clad Defense

Dr. Ari Sacher

Issue Brief - A Qualitative Military Edge

Mr. Yaakov Katz

Issue Brief - China, Russia and the Middle East

Dr. Jonathan Adelman

Issue Brief - Deciphering Damascus

Mr. Andrew Tabler

Issue Brief - Hizballah's Hold on Lebanon

Ms. Mara Karlin

Issue Brief - How Foreign Policy Is Crafted

Mr. Jeffrey Colman

Issue Brief - Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran

Mr. Ali Alfoneh

Issue Brief - Israel at the U.N.