[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1578 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1578
Honoring and commending the American Jewish Committee on its 118th
anniversary.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 18, 2024
Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Costa, Ms. Stevens, Mrs. Fletcher,
and Mr. Rulli) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring and commending the American Jewish Committee on its 118th
anniversary.
Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ``Original Resolution honoring and
commending the American Jewish Committee on its 118th anniversary'';
Whereas the American Jewish Committee (AJC) was founded on November 11, 1906, in
New York City by a group of American Jews to raise awareness about
persecution and pogroms targeting Jews in Russia and who understood that
the fight against antisemitism was inextricably linked to advancing
human rights and democratic values for all;
Whereas the AJC recognizes that the protection of minorities underlies the
fabric of democracies, and speaks out when vulnerable communities are
threatened;
Whereas the AJC, in partnership with the Jewish community and other civil
society leaders, has been an essential resource and advocate in the
fight against the rising tide of hate and bigotry;
Whereas the AJC's groundbreaking research on prejudice and racism was cited in
the historic Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka;
Whereas the AJC, an early supporter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has not wavered in its dedication to the
civil rights struggle in the United States, and it remains committed to
safeguarding human rights at home and abroad;
Whereas the AJC has a long history of building coalitions and advocating for
bipartisan, transnational solutions to address immigration;
Whereas the AJC's Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA)
works to strengthen ties between Jews and Latinos, and, in December
2023, BILLA hosted the Strategic Forum for Leaders of Ibero-American
Jewish Communities in Santiago, Chile;
Whereas the AJC strengthens bonds with diverse faith and ethnic communities to
underscore its commitment to pluralism, to combat the rise of
antisemitism and religiously motivated hate crimes, and to ensure all
faiths and minorities are protected against oppression and acts of
violence and are able to practice in their houses of worship without
fear;
Whereas, following the horrific attack at the Tree of Life or L'Simcha
Congregation in Pittsburgh which killed 11 worshippers, the AJC launched
a global campaign encouraging people of conscience around the world to
attend Shabbat services to confront hate-motivated violence with
solidarity and determination;
Whereas the names of the Tree of Life attack victims are Richard Gottfried, Rose
Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Edgewood Borough, Cecil Rosenthal, David
Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, and
Irving Younger;
Whereas, in November 2016, the AJC launched the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council,
an unprecedented initiative, which fostered a network of hundreds of
American Muslim and Jewish leaders to protect and expand the rights of
religious minorities in the United States;
Whereas, in January 2020, the AJC partnered with the Mecca-based Muslim World
League to lead 62 Muslim representatives from over 28 countries to
Auschwitz, a historic undertaking that brought one of the most senior
Muslim delegations to a Nazi death camp ever;
Whereas the AJC has played a pivotal role in advancing Christian-Jewish
relations for over 100 years, including through the heroic leadership of
Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, AJC Director of Interreligious Affairs, which
dramatically contributed to the declaration of the Holy See known as
Nostra Aetate on October 28, 1965, transforming for the better Christian
teachings on Jews and Judaism;
Whereas the AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
works to combat religious intolerance, prevent genocide and mass
atrocities, and oppose all forms of discrimination;
Whereas, in July 2015, the AJC launched the Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism
campaign to build a nationwide coalition of elected officials committed
to fighting antisemitism;
Whereas, since Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism's inception, nearly 200
European mayors from 31 countries and more than 700 mayors and municipal
leaders from all 50 States plus the District of Columbia have signed
onto the statement condemning anti-Jewish hatred, pledging to promote
respectful coexistence;
Whereas the AJC has been a steadfast supporter of Israel, becoming the first
American Jewish organization to open an office in Israel, and an
effective advocate of Israel's security and place among nations;
Whereas the AJC seeks to expand Israel's bilateral and multilateral ties with
strategically important countries and international bodies while also
working to counter assaults on Israel's legitimacy;
Whereas, in 2018, the AJC crafted a pledge of unity and resolve reaffirming the
long-established transatlantic partnership between North America and
Europe, which was signed by more than 30 world leaders from both
continents, including current President Joe Biden, former Speaker of the
House John Boehner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair;
Whereas the AJC's Project Interchange has brought more than 6,200 opinion
leaders and policymakers to Israel from over 120 countries and all 50
States;
Whereas the AJC's Leaders For Tomorrow (LFT) program for high school students
seeks to empower young Jews to speak up for Israel and Jewish people and
has reached almost 3,000 students;
Whereas, in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, two AJC-sponsored
flights transported hundreds of Ukrainian Jewish refugees to Israel;
Whereas the AJC's advocacy is underpinned by the notion that American leadership
in global affairs is essential to our national interests, the
preservation and advancement of democratic values and human dignity, and
the security of our allies;
Whereas the first University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism was hosted
by the AJC in partnership with Hillel International and the American
Council on Education (ACE) in April 2022 to address challenges Jewish
students face on campus;
Whereas the AJC's Transatlantic Institute worked to renew the EU-Israel
Association Council, which met again for the first time in decades in
October 2022;
Whereas, each year, the AJC engages in diplomatic outreach during the United
Nations General Assembly, and, in September 2024, the AJC met with over
80 world leaders to advocate for friendships with Israel, urge leaders
to counter antisemitism, implore the international community to address
human rights abuses as well as nuclear development in Iran, and to
emphasize support for Ukraine in its war against Russia;
Whereas the AJC has been a stalwart for human rights and a bulwark against
injustice worldwide, embracing a global approach with 17 international
offices, 25 United States offices, and 38 international Jewish community
partnerships;
Whereas, since the horrific events of October 7, 2023, the AJC has written
articles concerning the Israel-Hamas war and continues to provide
recommendations on how to address antisemitism across the globe;
Whereas, on May 21, 2024, the AJC released an updated Call to Action Against
Antisemitism, a Society-Wide Nonpartisan Guide for America, which
included specific guidelines for addressing antisemitism in light of the
October 7 attacks; and
Whereas the AJC has spearheaded the effort to combat antisemitism online and has
brought attention to Jewish voices by creating the Voices Against
Antisemitism campaign, a video series featuring American Jewish
celebrities and social media influencers reckoning with the aftermath of
the Hamas attack: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ``Original Resolution honoring
and commending the American Jewish Committee on its 118th
anniversary''.
SEC. 2. HONORING AND COMMENDING THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE ON ITS
118TH ANNIVERSARY.
That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the 118th anniversary of the historic
founding of the American Jewish Committee; and
(2) honors and commends the American Jewish Committee for
its efforts regarding human rights worldwide, interfaith
dialogue, and the promotion of Israel's security and place in
the world.
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