‘Diplomacy For The Jewish Community’

David Harris: Sees reason for optimism about perception of Israel on world stage.

David Harris: Sees reason for optimism about perception of Israel on world stage.

by Merri Rosenberg
Special To The Jewish Week

For someone who never even attended a Friday-night Shabbat dinner until his early 20s, when a friend invited him to his parents’ Harrison home, David Harris has, somewhat improbably, defined his personal and professional life by dedication to the Jewish community.

As executive director of the American Jewish Committee since 1990 and a member of the defense agency for 25 years, Harris has been involved in every major cause concerning the American and international Jewish community for decades. He’s worked to repeal the United Nations’ “Zionism Is Racism” resolution, rescue Ethiopian and Soviet Union Jews, and challenge Israel’s isolation at the United Nations. As a prominent spokesman for the American Jewish community, Harris has been invited to speak at the Davos World Economic Forum

and before the U.S. Congress.

Small wonder, then, that the AJC Westchester Chapter selected Harris as its honoree at its third annual Israel ... New Perspectives dinner June 4. With a theme of “The Face of Israel’s Diplomacy,” the evening was to feature a “university for a night” format to offer attendees “an authentic Israel experience, an everyday Israel experience,” said Scott Richman, executive director of the AJC Westchester chapter. Speakers included Yoram Ben-Zeev, Israeli ambassador to Germany; Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; Gabriela Shalev, permanent representative of Israel to the UN; and Mark Sofer, Israeli ambassador to India.

“Diplomacy was chosen because of David Harris,” said Richman. “This clearly fits David. It’s very timely. The Westchester chapter has very close relationships with diplomats from 18 countries.”
The evening also offered the AJC Westchester chapter a chance to honor one of its own. Harris has lived in Chappaqua with his wife, Giulietta, and three sons since 1991, and belongs to Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford Corners.

“This is a terrific chapter,” said Harris. “It’s one of our most dynamic. I’ve seen enormous growth in AJC in Westchester, in membership and level of activity. Their diplomatic outreach program has raised important issues, like the threat of anti-Semitism and the challenge of terrorism.”

And Harris is “thrilled with the theme of the event,” focusing on diplomacy. The New York City native, who graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and earned graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Oxford University, originally intended to pursue a career as a State Department or UN diplomat or foreign correspondent.

“Instead of doing diplomacy for the U.S. government, I’m doing diplomacy for the Jewish community,” said Harris, who cited such significant issues as the Yom Kippur War, Soviet Jewry and the UN “Zionism Is Racism” resolution as shifting his career plans.

“The good news is that a number of key countries are led by politicians that are well disposed to Israel,” said Harris. “I expect the Israeli ambassador to India will be optimistic. In Britain, there are major challenges,” citing the ongoing issues within the British academic community that seeks to isolate Israeli scholars.

Harris added, “The picture [regarding Israel in Britain] is not black and white. A challenge we face is the increasing intellectual assault on Israel to de-legitimize Israel.”
Harris also acknowledged other challenges.
“The immediate challenge for any organization is to make it through an economic crisis that has shaken us all and whose end is not yet foreseeable,” he said. “The longer-term challenge is to be able to appeal to a younger generation of American Jews. For them, joining an organization may not be in their bloodstream.”

Further, Harris identified a third, more internal challenge — namely, “whether the forces that unite the Jewish people will outweigh those that threaten to balkanize us. AJC has always been a big tent. That’s critically important. It doesn’t mean having a monolithic point of view, but attracting people of different backgrounds.”

Ultimately, of course, the mission remains steadfast.

“The good news is that America remains the most pro-Israel country without question,” said Harris. “The challenge is to ensure that the American public and U.S. congressmen and those who run for the presidency feel identification and support for Israel. America is the key battleground for public opinion. There is no room for complacency.”

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