i serve on ajc's executive council and as chair of ajc's regional offices. one year ago ajc's network of 22 regional offices across the country undertook an ambitious challenge. mayors united against anti-semitism. we crafted a pledge and spread the word to mayors across the united states skgs them to sign their name to this denunciation of anti-semitism. we at ajc spent a lot of time thinking beyond our own borders. we work to improve israel's place in the world. halt iran's progress toward nuclear weapons. defend human dignity. and combat anti-semitism in europe. but without our work at the local level we would never be able to make such a significant impact worldwide. at ajc we live by the belief think global, act local. forgive my chauvinism, but as with so many great things in american history the story of mayors united began in massachusetts. [ applause ] when ajc new england conceptualized the project and teamed up with newton mayor seti warren to get the ball rolling. [ applause ] given that newton is the wonderful city where i was born and raised, i

ajc is the most important to us.hat is where we give the lion's share of our time and lion's share of our financial commitment and it's that meaningful to us. >> as much as we've given to ajc, it has given us back so much more. it has so enriched our lives, the relationships, the human relationships, the people that have touched my heart and my soul i have met because of ajc. >> through my experiences at ajc, i can honestly say i feel more jewish. i had jewish values, but i didn't have an opportunity to express them, express them in a real meaningful way. and i believe i feel more jewish and that makes me happy. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ajc president robert ellman. >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. when we set out to find the perfect speaker for this plenary session, we knew we wanted a true political states man from my home state of tennessee. someone with a well-known representation for expanding american influence, someone who knew how to leverage u.s. soft power and hard power, what former u

for 110 years now ajc has answered that call. you've been america's conscience, fighting for civil rights, reaching out to other faith communities, comforting the stranger new to our shores. more and more as we recognize tonight, you've become the world's conscience as well from battlie ining apartheid in stan native south america to aiding refugees in europe. i've been truly fortunate, as i've said, to work closely with you at the u.n. and now as the president's national security adviser. i echo the assessment of my dear friend madeleine albright who says, and i quote, ajc remains indispensable. no one understands more clearly the need for vigilance and the danger of silence. so, on behalf of president ob a obama, thank you for more than a century of doing the sacred work of building a better world for us all. if ajc were a person like stan, it would be the biggest mensch in the world. next week is the festival of shbuoat. as jews do every year, congregations will read from the book of ruth as ruth pledges herself to her mother-

and i think the success of ajc filled a mantle. >> ajc gives me a chance and opportunity to be part ofn to keep safe are people. that's the mission of ajc. i'm happy to be part of it. >> i think the sky is the limit. i think the opportunities are greater than ever. as the latino community grows, as our ties between jews and latinos grow even closer, i think there will be even more chances for us to do this great work. >> we invite you to embrace our mission. [applause] >> good evening, and thank you, ambassador rice, for your important and moving remarks. it has once again been ajc's great honor to host you. i'm the incoming chair of the international relations commission. it is my great honor to introduce our next speaker this evening, secretary of foreign affairs of mexico clottey claudia ruiz-- massieu. let me describe the unprecedented participation she has inspired. secretary has invited all 50 mexican consuls from around the united states -- the secretary has invited all 50 mexican consuls from around the united states together with us at the ajc global forum, and they have been

i serve on ajc's executive council and as chair of ajc's regional offices. year ago ajc's network of 22 regional offices across the country undertook an ambitious challenge. mayors united against anti-semitism. we crafted a pledge and spread the word to mayors across the united states skgs them to sign their name to this denunciation of anti-semitism. we at ajc spent a lot of time thinking beyond our own borders. we work to improve israel's place in the world. halt iran's progress toward nuclear weapons. defend human dignity. and combat anti-semitism in europe. but without our work at the local level we would never be able to make such a significant impact worldwide. at ajc we live by the belief think global, act local. forgive my chauvinism, but as with so many great things in american history the story of mayors united began in massachusetts. [applause] when ajc new england conceptualized the project and teamed up with newton mayor seti warren to get the ball rolling. [applause] given that newton is the wonderful city where i was born and raised, it is a p

ajc is the most important to us.hat's where we give the share of our time and the share of our financial commitment and it's that meaningful to us. >> as much as we have given to ajc it's given us back so much more. it has so enriched our lives. the relationships, the human relationships, the people that have touched my heart and my soul, i have met because of ajc. >> through my experiences of ajc i can honestly say i feel more jewish. i had jewish values but i didn't have an opportunity to express them. express them in a real meaningfl way and i believe i feel more jewish and that makes me happy. >> good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. when we set out to find the perfect speaker for this session we knew we wanted a true political statesman from my home state of tennessee. someone with a well-known reputation for expanding american innuance. someone that knew how to leverage u.s. soft power and hard power and former u.s. president whom you may know from is tennessee was not available. he reconsidered. we thought we w

and that's why we applaud and work closely with groups like ajc. your mayors united against anti-semitism advertisement in today's "wall street journal" made a powerful statement against hate. that's why last year the united states helped organize the first ever united nations general assembly meeting on anti-semitism. that's why we've appointed a special envoy to monitor anti-semitism, ira forman, and are urging other countries to appoint their own. we won't let up. the ugly hatred has to end. that's our record. these are our principles. this is president obama's steadfast commitment. for me the warmth and strength of this relationship between the united states and israel will always be rooted in my very first trip to israel. i was 14 years old. my beloved late father was on the board of twa. some of you may remember that once great airline. and he took me and my younger brother to israel. we arrived on one of the first ever flights from egypt to israel. it was just after the camp david accords were signed. and on that trip we bowed our heads in s

ajc travel to france to present the moral courage award to michelle. was at the global forum to represent his father. please welcome him to the stage. [applause] >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen. i have the privilege tonight to captaint my father, the in 1976.ijacked a little side, it for mr. gilbert who opened the session, he was also a pilot during the navyable to join the u.s. on aircraft carriers. [applause] >> he is not here tonight but i will share some words. first of all, he would like to thank ajc for this incredible award happening 40 years after the event. actually, i think he believed, strongly believed that he has only done his duty across his time. when you take the responsibility of an air front captain, you do not leave your passengers behind. when you are facing the unacceptable, to separate the crime,and non-jewish, a he decided to take his name off the free hostage list and go letter withtoday's the high probability of execution. point, it wast quite life-threatening and he decided not to give any information to his crew. despit

it gives me a distinct pleasure to give you the moral courage award from ajc tonight. congratulations. >> thank you. [applause] [applause] >> just a few more words. and whenar your story i think about what your father did, i cannot help but ask myself, what i would have done were i the pilot of the air --nce flight 139, what i've what i have stayed with my passengers? what i have been brave enough to participate in the rescue you so skillfully navigated? i do know in today's world where jews are still being targeted because they are jews, where israel still faces these courage of terrorism, examples of true moral courage or rare and precious sources of inspiration and hope. we crave them, we need them and we just witnessed two of them before us. it is about uplifting spirit that i can think of no better way to conclude tonight's program then singing the national anthem of the state of israel so aptly titled "the hope." the words are in your program. ♪ [the national anthem of israel] >> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending the ajc world leaders summit. ♪ announ

as our ambassador and i spent a good deal of time at ajc's headquarters. i had the privilege to join you several times and at that lunch i was deeply moved to receive ajc's distinguished service award. in recognition of the obama administration's staunch support for israel. david thanked me for standing tall, which i'm pretty sure he met metaphorically. so being here feels a little like being with family. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> now i don't know how many people know this, but i group in in shepherd park, a neighborhood in washington, d.c., which was then a predominantly jewish neighborhood, not very far from here. i watched worshippers walking to synagogue every week. our house had on the door frame and i attended many services with friending reading from those maxwell house labels. as we told the story of a people liberated from bondage. at a time when bar mits vas were still rare, i went to more than most girls at the national cathedral school. all my life i've been inspired by the deep morality of the jewish faith. but the simplicity and urgency of

last year ajc is served over 14 million americans, nearly 1 million of those are veterans. ajc are funded by the department of labor and administered by a workforce investment board operated by local communities. they examples of best in class collaboration. think about another challenge. incarceration in better homelessness often go hand-in-hand. what is the answer? collaboration. veteran trade records are helping communities break the cycle of homelessness in incarceration. as veteran justice outraged specials proven explains, it is a community coming together to support the court, to support the veteran. btc works closely with per diem organizations, via homeless staff with until health programs , veterans service organizations, veteran mentors and many others. in 2009 there were only four or five of the scores. today there are over 400. over the last six years veteran specialist outreach absurd 126,000 justice involves veterans. more than 4,602,015 alone. the proof of goodness in my collaboration is better in outcomes. two thirds of veteran treatment course successfully

, last year ajcs served over 14 million americans, nearly 1 million of those were veterans. agcs are administered by state-level workforce investment boards, operated by local communities. their examples are best in class collaboration. think about another challenge. incarceration and veteran homelessness often go hand in hand. what is the answer? collaboration. veteran treatment courts are helping communities break the cycle of homelessness and incar race, as one explains -- it's a community coming together to support the court, support the veteran. they work closely with per diemorganizations, v.a. homeless staffs, veteran service organizations, with veteran as veteran justice outreach special explains, it's a community coming together to support the courts to support the veterans. vtcs work closely with per diem organizations, va homeless staff, with mental health programs, with veteran service organizations, with veteran mentors, and many others. in 2009, there were only four or five of these courts. today there are over 400. over the last six years, veteran justice outr

on behalf of ajc, thank you so much for spending this time with us. [ applause ] and i want to remind everybody that at 6:00 p.m. tonight we reconvene for the plenary with eu foreign policy chief, u.s. national security advisor susan rice and the foreign secretary of mexico. >> if i could, the most important person relative to the memorandum of understanding getting completed is susan rice. so you should ask her the same question this evening, okay? >> okay. >> thank you. thank you, sir. >> ladies and gentlemen, that concludes this afternoon's plen rare -- plenary. we'll see you back here this evening at 6:00 p.m. for the world leaders plenary. >>> we'll bring you more from the american jewish committee's global forum later this afternoon. watch live at 6:00 p.m. eastern on cspan. >>> tonight, our road to the white house coverage continues. from long beach, california where hillary clinton will address supporters a day before voters head to the polls in the state. that's at 9:00 p.m. eastern on cspan. >>> tonight, on the communicators, the 30-year-old electronic communications privacy