In an interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Israeli Director of the American Jewish Committee, Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, discussed the recent conference of world Jewry in Tel Aviv. "These were an amazing four days during which 1,500 primarily American Jews joined us in Tel Aviv to celebrate 75 years of Israel's independence." "I would say that you could feel the electricity in the air," she said.
Asked whether participants of the conference were interested in Israel's internal affairs - specifically the debate around the proposed judicial reforms, Leibovich said that the high number of attendees pointed to a "high desire to learn and better understand the Israeli perspective on the ground." "We tried to really explore different issues, bring Israelis experts from both the coalition and opposition to the table, and offer different voices on the Israeli street on a platter for participants to listen, experience, and make up their minds," she explained.
Leibovich stressed her own opinion that American Jews should have a greater say in Israel's affairs. "The American Jewish community, which makes up about seven million people, is very vibrant and has a strong voice in support of Israel, which is very much welcomed by us," she began. "Now the question remains: should they be more involved? Israelis will say that so long as you're not an Israeli [citizen], didn't serve in the army, and don't pay taxes, there is a limit to how much you should be involved in Israel's internal affairs."
"Some people in the American Jewish diaspora insist on expressing their [opinions] and interfering more so that Israel is safe. It's all done from a need to protect Israel, to embrace Israel, to see Israel flourish as a strong Jewish democracy," she continued. Addressing fellow Israelis, Leibovich urged them to ensure that, "American Jews are treated as an integral part of Israel's security strategy."
Speaking on the issue of global antisemitism, Leibovich credited her organization with bringing educators to high school and college campuses around the US. "The problem we see increasing is people's ignorance on the issue of antisemitism," she stated. "Part of our role is to educate future generations. That's why you saw 400 young people in the audience. We're invested in that future."
On the topic of Israel's disagreement with the current US administration regarding its efforts to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, Leibovich said there were some, "friction points and we are hearing about a possible deal the US is brokering with Iran. Obviously, for Israel, Iran is the number one threat," she pointed out.