(Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2020)--A 22-member delegation of leaders of the American Hellenic and American Jewish organizations completed a fourth, three-country Leadership Mission to Greece, Cyprus and Israel, to explore the major political, economic and security developments underway in the eastern Mediterranean and to advance the interests of the United States in the region. Meetings were held with more than 30 high-ranking government and military officials and policy analysts from the three countries and the United States between Jan. 11 and Jan. 17, 2020. The participating organizations included: B’nai B’rith International, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
 
In a post-mission statement, the groups noted:
 
“Our meetings clearly revealed the trilateral partnership between Israel, Cyprus and Greece — now together with the United States in a 3+1 framework — is moving forward on a sustained course with a commitment to achieve peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader region. The eastern Mediterranean provides strategic depth and the 3+1 is an ongoing, orienting framework that offers added value to the region. 
 
“We applaud the leaders of the three countries for their close cooperative partnership.  Through high-level meetings, the groundwork for a roadmap of cooperation across a variety of areas has been prepared.  All level of government in conjunction with the private sector, must contribute substance to the groundwork to yield additional actions and concrete results.
 
“Further, the trilateral partnership possesses the potential to allow the eastern Mediterranean to become a community of nations based on shared common values and aspirations. This approach anticipates that the partnership is neither exclusionary nor exclusive and we hope it expands to like-minded countries that respect democratic values, international law and sovereign rights.  This will only serve to strengthen the region.
 
“Provocative actions in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader region are unacceptable, including infringements on sovereignty. The engagement of the United States in the region is critical and appreciated but, together with Europe, must do more to counter the actions of malign actors in the eastern Mediterranean.
 
“As committed supporters, the American Hellenic and American Jewish communities are committed to advancing the trilateral partnership and 3+1 framework.  We will continue to work to foster closer cooperation with the United States and support the common efforts to achieve tangible and measurable outcomes across all areas.  For example, we commend programs involving student and young professionals exchanges, initiatives to combat anti-Semitism and joint response efforts to natural disasters.
 
“Finally, we are grateful to the many public officials who afforded us the opportunity to exchange views and ideas. The friendship and hospitality shown to us made the trip even more meaningful and productive.”
 
Leadership Mission: Listing of Meetings, Briefings & Visitations
Israel

• Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Head of Foreign Policy Department, National Security Council, Reuven Azar.
• Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel Isaac Herzog.
• Head of the Political-Military Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Zohar Palti.
• Head of the Liaison Department for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Col. Moshe Soffer.
• The joint delegation received a briefing at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with:
  • Avraham Nir, head, European Division,
  • Akiva Tor, head, Bureau for Worldwide Jewish Affairs and World Religions,
  • Iris Ambor, director, Southern European Department, and
  • Noam Katz, deputy director general, Media and Public Affairs.
• The delegation held a working dinner hosted by B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations with key current and former diplomats:
  • Ambassador of Cyprus to Israel Thessalia S. Shambos,
  • Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Dr. Dore Gold, who currently is president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and
  • Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, counsellor, Embassy of Greece.
• The delegation received a policy briefing from Professor Efraim Inbar, founding director, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and Dr. Eran Lerman, former Deputy for Foreign Policy and International Affairs and former member of the Israeli National Security Council, at a dinner hosted by B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
• The delegation toured the Bible Lands Museum and Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

 
Cyprus

• President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.
• U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus Judith Garber hosted the joint delegation for a briefing and reception.
• Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
• President of the House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris.
• Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Overseas Cypriots Photis Photiou.
  • Commissioner Photiou hosted the joint delegation for a luncheon.
• The delegation also received a military briefing by Lieutenant General Elias Leontaris, who is chief of the National Guard. Lt. Gen. Leontaris hosted a welcome reception for the delegation at the Officer’s Club.
• The delegation visited the Tomb of Makedonitissa, a war memorial and military cemetery, where each organization’s head laid a wreath.
• The delegation visited the Cyprus – Israeli Monument, which commemorates 2,200 Jewish children born in Cyprus to Jewish Holocaust survivors detained in Cyprus between 1946 and 1949.
• AHEPA District 27, Cyprus, hosted a dinner for the joint delegation.

 
Greece

• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
• American Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt and Deputy Chief of Mission David Burger.
• Minister for Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis.
• Minister of Tourism Haris Theoharis. Minister Theoharis also hosted a dinner for the joint delegation.
• General Christos Christodoulou, then-Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, whose team provided a defense briefing and hosted the joint delegation for a dinner at the Hellenic Armed Forces Officers’ Club.
• Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
• The delegation received a briefing at the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs with:
  • Ambassador Eleni Sourani, A4 Directorate for Turkey,
  • Ambassador Theodoros Theodorou, A6 Directorate for Middle East, and
  • Ambassador Elisavet Fotiadou, A7 Directorate for North America.
• The joint delegation visited the Hellenic Armed Forces Special Forces Training Center
  • General Evangelos Papadopoulos, whose team provided several briefings about various training centers located in Greece.

 
Leadership Mission: Participating Organizations
B’nai B’rith International is a worldwide Jewish community service organization widely known as one of the world's most influential humanitarian, human rights and advocacy organizations.
 

• International President Charles O. Kaufman
• Vonne Kaufman
• CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin
• B’nai B’rith International Foundation Chairman Irving Silver
• Frances Silver
• Director of B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Alan Schneider

 
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) is a leading membership-based grassroots service association for American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes. Its mission is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
 

• Supreme President George G. Horiates
• Canadian President Christos Argiriou
• Supreme Treasurer Savas Tsivicos
• Supreme Counselor Lou Atsaves
• Supreme Governor Chris Kaitson
• Supreme Governor Phanos Pitiris
• Cyprus & Hellenic Affairs Committee Chairman Dr. Zenon Christodoulou
• Executive Director Basil N. Mossaidis
• Consultant Andrew G. Kaffes

 
American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is a non-profit Greek American think-tank and public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
 

• President/COO Nick Larigakis
• Vice President James Lagos, Esq.
• Board of Directors Member Nicholas Chimicles
• Board Member Demitri Halakos (Greece only)
• Georgia Halakos (Greece only)

 
 
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is the central coordinating body representing 53 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.
 

• Chairman Arthur Stark
• Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Malcolm Hoenlein
• Former Chairman Stephen Greenberg
• Former Chairman Richard Stone

 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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American Jewish And American Hellenic Groups To Evaluate The Critical Partnership Between The Three Countries

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International is taking part in a fourth International Leadership Mission — a joint delegation of American Jewish and American Hellenic  leaders — which represents the ongoing organizational cooperation between these groups and broad diaspora support for the trilateral partnership between Israel, Cyprus and Greece.
 
The delegation aims to explore the major economic (business and tourism), energy sector and security developments underway between the three countries through meetings with high-ranking government and military officials and with visits to military installations.
 
We are joined by:

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA)
The leading membership-based service association for American citizens of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes
 
American Hellenic Institute (AHI)
A leading Greek American public policy center and think tank
 
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
The central coordinating body representing 53 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern
 
When/Where: The mission convenes in Jerusalem, Jan. 11; continues to Nicosia, Jan. 13 and Jan. 14; and concludes in Athens, Jan. 15 to Jan. 17. 

Why:   The strengthening of cooperation between Israel, Cyprus and Greece in a trilateral partnership continues to develop, helping to foster peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader region. In 2019, at the Sixth Trilateral Summit, the United States underlined its support for the trilateral partnership established by Israel, Cyprus and Greece, noting the importance of increased cooperation, and has since put in place a 3+1 framework.

Background
The four organizations will build upon three previous, three-country leadership missions in 2014, 2016 and 2018, which were widely recognized and praised as contributing to intergroup and international cooperation and friendship.  
B’nai B’rith is represented on the mission by President Charles O. Kaufman; CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin; B'nai B'rith Foundation of the United States Chair Irving Silver; and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Director Alan Schneider.
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B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org

(Jerusalem, Nov. 7, 2019)--The Israel-Hellenic Forum will hold its first gathering from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14 in Jerusalem. The meeting will be moderated by Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International and the initiator of B’nai B’rith’s Bi-Annual Leadership Mission to Greece, Cyprus and Israel and George N. Tzogopoulos, senior research fellow, Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE); research associate, Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA); and lecturer, Democritus University of Thrace. More than 30 prominent journalists and academics from Greece and Cyprus will take part in the historic meeting.
 
Sessions include the strategic importance of the Mediterranean democratic bloc; the regional economy; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; national security policy under Israel’s new government; the relationship between Israel and the United States; innovation, tourism and humanitarian aid; the emerging new paradigm in Israel’s relationships with Arab states; and Greek-Jewish relations.
 
Established by the B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem, the Israel-Hellenic Forum is envisioned as a setting for discussion and action by Israeli, Greek, Cypriot and related academics, intellectuals and other public figures who have shown support in the public sphere for the burgeoning relationship solidified in recent years between these three countries – reflected in the regular tripartite meetings between their leaders and the flourishing state-to-state relations. The forum was created in close consultation with B’nai B’rith in Greece and with Israeli experts.
 
The meeting and further actions – including the creation of an online publication – will be developed in cooperation with the participants, with the aim of also addressing lingering prejudices and other obstacles to greater acceptance among the peoples of these three democracies in the eastern Mediterranean.
 
B’nai B’rith has long been dedicated to Greek-Jewish relations and has maintained a local chapter in Greece for more than 100 years. In just the last six years, we have held three international conferences in Israel focused on security and strategic developments in the eastern Mediterranean, with senior Greek and Cypriot participation (the next conference is planned for Washington, D.C.); we led three leadership missions to Greece, Cyprus and Israel in partnership with the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; and we held a conference in Sparta that focused on Jewish-Hellenic relations in antiquity.
 
B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Director Alan Schneider said, “It is our firm belief that the challenges facing Israel, Greece and Cyprus make it incumbent upon those who seek to promote a peaceful, inclusive and tolerant eastern Mediterranean to promote this notion to civil society, in academia and to the public at large.”
 
The festive opening session of the forum meeting that will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 21:00 at the Prima Park Hotel, Jerusalem, will be open to the press by advance registration. The session will feature presentations by Hon. Thessalia S. Shambos, ambassador of Cyprus to Israel; professor Dimitris Keridis, MP, Greek Parliament; and Ioannis Kasoulides, former foreign minister of Cyprus. To register, please contact the B’nai B’rith World Center at tel 02-6251743.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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AMERICAN JEWISH AND AMERICAN HELLENIC ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME RECENT U.S., ISRAEL, GREECE, CYPRUS ENGAGEMENT
 
(Washington, D.C., July 29, 2019)--The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), American Hellenic Institute (AHI), B’nai B’rith International, and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following joint statement:
 
“We welcome the continued development of the Israel, Greece, and Cyprus trilateral partnership with news of the ‘First Economic Dialogue held between the United States and Trilateral Partners Republic of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel’ on July 25 in Washington, D.C.  We applaud the United States’ ongoing engagement following March’s Sixth Trilateral Summit where the United States participated for the first time. 
 
“Separately, we welcome as another positive indicator that bilateral relations between Greece and Israel have not lost a step with a newly elected government in Greece as evidenced by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’s visit to Israel early in the new government’s tenure.  The July 28 visit included meetings with President of Israel Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister Katz to discuss matters pertaining to the tripartite and developments in the eastern Mediterranean, which we view as vital and timely.
 
“We applaud the commitment to fostering peace, security, stability, and shared democratic values and ideals, in the region by all parties.  We are pleased the relationship continues to progress across all sectors. We will continue to lend our broad diaspora support and encouragement for advancing the trilateral partnership and the United States’ commitment to it.”
 
Background
In August 2011 and December 2012 AHEPA, AHI, B’nai B’rith International, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations co-organized roundtable discussions in New York City between leaders of the American Hellenic and American Jewish communities.
 
In January 2018, the four organizations completed their third Leadership Mission to Israel, Cyprus and Greece and are planning a fourth mission in 2020.  The groundbreaking inaugural mission to the three countries took place January 2014 and led to diaspora support for the tripartite, greater understanding between our communities, and the greater recognition of our common values, intents, and aspirations.
 
In December 2018, the organizations co-sponsored an international conference held in Jerusalem titled, “New Realities in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International condemns the latest anti-Israel terror attack, this time at the Israeli embassy in the Athens suburb of Psychiko where men on motorcycles opened fire with Kalashnikov automatic rifles on the front of the building early this morning. Fortunately, no one was injured.

B’nai B’rith commends Greek authorities for reacting swiftly, deploying police to the crime scene and vowing to bring the perpetrators of this terrorist attack to justice.

As we’ve seen in recent months and weeks, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise and they must be stopped. B’nai B’rith has repeatedly brought to light the troubling silence of the international community over these acts of terror, as well as  the need for European governmental and law enforcement officials to engage in proactive efforts to counter these attacks.