The Diplomat
A delegation of leaders of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) begins a visit to Spain today, which will last until Thursday, the 7th, to develop an intense agenda of contacts at the highest level, which includes the King, the President of the Government and the leader of the opposition, among others.
Founded in 1906 in New York, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) is today considered the most important Jewish organisation in the world in terms of global diplomacy. It has 24 offices in the United States and 13 around the world, including Paris, Brussels and Berlin.
The visit has been organised jointly by Centro Sefarad-Israel and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, and aims to establish conversations with different interlocutors from different levels of the administration on the main challenges and opportunities for Spain after the COVID pandemic; the state of bilateral relations between our country and the United States, Israel and the Jewish world; Spain’s perspective on the war in Ukraine and its multiple and serious repercussions for Europe and the rest of the world.
Dina Siegel Vann, director of the AJC’s Belfer Institute for Latin American and Latino Affairs, who is part of the delegation noted, prior to their trip to Madrid that “the nexus between Spain’s policies and the concerns of world Jewry have long allowed for fruitful cooperation.” “Our delegation looks forward to constructive discussions on current Spanish policies towards the Jewish people, Israel, Latin America and the United States,” she added.
During the various meetings, the work of the American Jewish Committee’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, which focuses on building ties with Hispanic communities in the United States, will also be presented.
The delegation will present the Gesher Prize to His Majesty the King on the 7th at the Zarzuela Palace. This award, whose name means bridge in Hebrew, aims to recognise individuals and institutions that have stood out for their solidarity with Jewish communities in Latin American countries and to improve relations between the United States, Latin America and Israel. The prize was awarded to Don Felipe in 2019 for his role in fostering relations between Spain and Latin America, especially highlighting his involvement in the signing of the Law of Nationality for Sephardim, which had an important impact on the American continent.
Likewise, the members of the delegation will hold meetings with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares; the President of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijoo; the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; the Mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; the Mayor of Toledo, Milagros Tolón; and the Ambassador of the United States, Julissa Reynoso.
They will also take part in the presentation of the Ángel Pulido Prize, which the Federation of Jewish Communities has awarded to the former director of the Sefarad-Israel Centre and current Spanish Ambassador to Jordan, Miguel de Lucas.
