Media Release
Dr Colin Rubenstein, Executive Director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, was honoured for his advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people and Israel by the Board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Sunday, June 2.
At a session for the organisation’s national leadership prior to the formal opening of the Global Forum of the AJC in Washington, Dr. David Harris, its Executive Director, described Dr Rubenstein as one of “the greatest Jewish leaders of our time” and said AIJAC and AJC were perfectly aligned “natural partners”.
The award was inscribed, “Presented to Colin Rubenstein, one of the world’s leading advocates on behalf of the Jewish people and Israel. In friendship and admiration.”
Accepting the award, Dr. Rubenstein listed many areas of cooperation between the two organisations, particularly in the Asian region but also in terms of many global Jewish concerns.
He noted that the two organisations were ahead of the curve on many issues, including understanding Islamist extremism, noting important developments in geopolitics and exposing Iranian adventurism.
He outlined areas of cooperation over more than twenty years, with examples including the active participation of AIJAC’s Director of International Affairs, Jeremy Jones, in AJC’s global Interfaith activity, including at the Vatican last month.
Both Harris and Rubenstein emphasised that the close relationship between the two organisations had been constructive and productive, and predicted it would continue to deepen and strengthen in the years to come.