Jones addresses AIPAC
Jeremy Jones, Director of International and of Community Affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, has made a presentation at the prestigious Policy Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Deputy Knesset Speaker Pnina Tamano-Shata with Jeremy Jones
This was the first time a member of the Australian Jewish community had addressed the Council.
Jones spoke in a session on ” Israel and Asia – New Frontiers?” discussing the historic, contemporary and potential future relations between South East Asia and Australasian states with Jews and Israel.
The other panelist, Craig Kennedy, President of the German Marshall Fund, and the Moderator, the Honorable Eliav Benjamin, focused on China, Japan and South Korea. Questions and discussion focused on Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Australia, with the intense interest leading to the session running well over time.
“AIPAC staged an incredible event, with between 14,000-17,000 participants, fantastic presentations and speeches by political leaders (including John Kerry and Benjamin Netanyahu), expert analysts and Americans and Israelis with diverse backgrounds, religions and experiences”, Jones said.
“To be invited to be a speaker at this event was an honour for me personally but also a reflection on the, belated, recognition of the unique contribution Australia has made, and continues to make, in international affairs and to the longstanding efforts of AIJAC and its executive director Colin Rubenstein in promoting awareness of Israel in Asia””, he added.
“The feedback to my session was phenomenal – with many who were in the audience contacting me since my presentation to express their appreciation and to request further information”, Jones reported.
“AIPAC also provided an unparalleled opportunity to meet and speak with politicians, community activists, religious leaders and others, with AIJAC’s high recognition factor and the enormous respect in which it is held, giving me an entree to meet many American, Israelis and European opinion shapers”, he said.
In addition to the session on Asia and Australia, Jeremy Jones also presented to US Campus activists on the importance of interfaith dialogue, and participated in discussions on Russia and the Middle East, Turkey, the threat of Iran and the boycott of Israel movements.
While in Washington, Jeremy Jones met with a number of major think tanks, media, academic, interfaith and Jewish community organisations, leading “round-table” discussions at two major policy institutions.
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