February 26, 2010
THE BIG STORY
German Consul General reaffirms nation's commitment to the Jewish people
-German Consul General Onno Huckmann hosted select AJC Chicago leaders for lunch on Tuesday to discuss potential sanctions against Iran and other issues. Huckmann said that as long as there is one survivor of the Holocaust, we remain committed to them.
Yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on China and Russia to support tough sanctions against Tehran in the UN Security Council. Click here to read more.
GLOBAL JEWISH ADVOCACY
AJC Chicago's Dan Elbaum joins with Chicago JCRC delegation in meeting with Britain's senior Middle East official
-AJC Chicago Director Dan Elbaum was part of a delegation led by JCRC Chair and AJC board member Lee Miller that met Monday morning with Ross Allen, the British embassy's senior official dealing with the Middle East. Also on the delegation were Steve Dishler, JCRC's director of international affairs, Rabbi Dan Sherbill from the Chicago Board of Rabbis, and Jenna Benn from ADL.
The meeting focused on the Middle East peace process and current international efforts for stronger sanctions on Iran. At the meeting, Elbaum stated that the Palestinian leadership has failed to prepare their people to accept the necessary concessions that will accompany any final peaceful resolution. He requested that Secretary Allen continue to make this point when speaking with Palestinian leaders.
AJC's U.N. Watch in the news
 -Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steve Huntley quoted AJC's U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer in a story highlighting the hypocrisy of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council. Huntley points out that the Council has ignored human rights abuses in Iran, China and Saudi Arabia while praising Sudan and slandering Israel. Click here to read the article. Huntley met Hillel Neuer on Hillel's last trip to Chicago.
Big News, Briefly
-Today, the U.N. will meet for a special debate on the report of the fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict – the Goldstone Report. The Arab Group has submitted a draft resolution calling on the Government of Israel and the “Palestinian side” to conduct investigations that are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards.
The local angle: AJC Chicago has sent letters and faxes to all consulates whose countries voted against or abstained on the first vote to approve the Goldstone report, asking them to continue to not support the flawed report. Click here to see the letter.
-In the U.S., support for Israel is near a record high. Meanwhile Canada recently reaffirmed its support for Israel. Canada’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Americas, Peter Kent said “Prime Minister Harper has made it quite clear for some time now and has regularly stated that an attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada.”
The local angle: AJC Chicago sent Canada’s Consul General, Georges Rioux, a letter thanking him for Canada’s strong defense of Israel in the face of repeated threats from Iran. Click here to see the letter.
Inroads to Understanding
AJC Interfaith Efforts Explore the Differences between Faith and Culture in Violent Times
At an AJC-cosponsored event in Kansas City, AJC's Emily Soloff, Associate Director of Irreligious and Intergroup Relations was part of a panel that included a Muslim Chaplain and a Baptist. The panel explored the roots of faith and culture and how the differences can lead to violence.
Make an Impact 
We welcome your feedback about how we can best keep you informed. Please e-mail Jon Schweitzer at schweitzerj@ajc.org
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