FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 "AIFL APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR"

New York, NY, March 13, 2013 - The America-Israel Friendship League is pleased to announce that Harris Vederman has been appointed Executive Director, succeeding Dr. Alex Grobman. Dr. Grobman will continue to serve the AIFL as a consultant which will permit him to reduce his management responsibilities and assist the new Executive Director in pursuing special projects and fundraising.  Harris Vederman comes to the AIFL after 11 years at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington, DC where he served most recently as the National Grassroots Director. During his tenure, he helped the RJC to grow from five to 40 chapters.  He has extensive experience in the pro-Israel arena, working closely with the highest levels of Israeli political leadership and organizing several missions to Israel where he lived and worked for two years.  Mr. Vederman and his wife Carol and their two young daughters are looking forward to becoming a part of the AIFL family.

PRESS RELEASE

THE AIFL HAS SENT TO MEMBERS OF THE US SENATE A LETTER EXPRESSING ITS CONCERNS AS THE SENATE CONSIDERS CONFIRMATION OF CHUCK HAGEL AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

THE LETTER FOLLOWS:

Dear Senator:

The America-Israel Friendship League (the "AIFL"), a non-political, non-sectarian, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization wishes to express to you our concerns about the nomination for Secretary of Defense of former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel. In short, we are concerned about statements that have been attributed to him as follows:

(i) His opposition to many of the Obama Administration's and European governments' policies with regard to the Middle East, particularly his opposition to the imposition of sanctions on the terrorist regime in Iran for developing nuclear weapons;

(ii) His reported record of hostility to Israel, where he also stated (referring to Palestinian terrorism) on August 27, 1998 "...desperate men do desperate things when you take hope away. And that's where the Palestinians are today.";

(iii) His apparent lack of concern about the terrorist actions and war crimes of the Hamas regime in Gaza, which has led him to advocate as US policy a unilateral engagement of Hamas without regard to the requirements set down by the Quartet;

(iv) His description of the so-called "Israel Lobby" as the "Jewish lobby" which ascribes inaccurately religious affiliation to what has been a strong bi-partisan policy of support for the State of Israel, among Jews and non-Jews, alike. It raises the ugly specter of dual loyalty often made by anti-Semites against Jewish U.S. citizens who are supporters of Israel, as does his assertion that he is a U.S. Senator and not an Israeli Senator when he noted that the "Jewish Lobby" intimidates a lot of people;

Leaders and Guests from AIFL to Ring NYSE Opening Bell 
- AIFL Chairman Kenneth J. Bialkin and AIFL Israel Chairman Ambassador Dan Gillerman -
- Judge William Thompson, AIFL Board Member -
- Seth Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation -
- Doron Cohen, Chairman of D&B Israel -
- Larry Leibowitz, Chief Operating Officer, NYSE Euronext -
- Sami Sagol, Chairman of Keter Group -
  
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL) and a delegation of Israeli and American CEOs visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to celebrate the sixth annual Israel Day at the NYSE. Hosted by the AIFL , Israel Day at the NYSE kicked off a half-day program including a conference at the Exchange.
 
This year, Israel Day  highlighted the strong Israeli presence in NYC’s Silicon Alley, with a specific focus on the partnership between Cornell and the Technion in developing the Cornell NYC Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island.
 
Participants include: AIFL Chairman Kenneth J. Bialkin and AIFL Israel Chairman Ambassador Dan Gillerman; Judge William Thompson, AIFL Board Member; Seth Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation; Doron Cohen, Chairman of D&B Israel; and Sami Sagol, Chairman of Keter Group,  joined by chief executive officers of and investors in Israeli and American companies. The conference will showcase the innovated industry top-to-bottom - from leading global companies to Start-Ups.