AJC, CCFP Bring Delegation of Entertainment Executives to Israel

Industry Leaders Experience Israel, Meet with Israelis Firsthand

Last week, in partnership with Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), American Jewish Committee (AJC) Project Interchange hosted a delegation of entertainment industry leaders in Israel, providing these executives the opportunity to experience Israel and meet with Israelis firsthand. With programming and meetings centered on Israel's cultural, historical, and political landscape, the group heard directly from former hostages, Israeli entertainment professionals, the Druze community, representatives from the Israeli Arab and Palestinian communities, and survivors of the October 7, 2023, massacre - including the Nova Music Festival.

"The entertainment industry has an incredible influence over public opinion and our exposure to and understanding of cultures different from our own. With this influence comes great responsibility and powerful opportunities - the industry leaders who have joined us for this delegation have a key role to play in shaping the information Americans consume," Dr. Saba Soomekh, AJC Director of Training and Education. "Especially now, as we are seeing a surge in antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism disguised as anti-Zionism, we felt it vital for these leaders to experience Israel for themselves and to have the opportunity to speak with Israelis of all backgrounds to better understand the beauty and diversity that is the real Israel, and not the distortion that has been spread by Hamas propaganda. The art these executives help to create has the power to divide or unite - it must be grounded in truth."

The delegation included CCFP Executive Director Ari Ingel, Co-Star Entertainment CEO and CCFP Board of Advisors Member Traci Szymanski, Range Media Partners Managing Partner Cory Litwin, Filmmaker and American High CEO Jeremy Garelick, Skydance Sports President Jon Weinbach, Roc Nation Executive Vice President of Television and Film Lori York, Worldwide Tracks Founder Markell Casey, Range Media Partners Manager and Partner Michael Diamond, Range Media Partners Partner and Head of International Non-Scripted & Co-Head of Domestic Non-Scripted Michael Kagan, Simons Muirhead Burton Partner and Head of Music Richard Baskind, Turtle Bay Group, Inc. Managing Director and Principal Ron Starr, and Range Media Partners Partner and Co-Head of Packaging (TV/Film Representation) Tanya Cohen.

During their week in Israel, the delegation met with individuals and communities who have been profoundly impacted by the war with Hamas that began on October 7, 2023. In Tel Aviv, they visited Hostages Square and heard from released hostage Iair Horn. They traveled north to the village of Majdal Shams, where they met with Sheikh Taher Abu Saleh, Head of the Druze Community in the Golan Heights, and with families of the 12 children who were killed by a Hezbollah rocket attack in 2024. And in the South, they met with Police Sgt. Remo Salman El-Hozayel, a Bedouin police officer who saved numerous concert attendees on October 7. They also visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where they heard from Michal Rosenberg, a survivor of the Hamas massacre, and Alon Futterman, Director and CEO of the Kfar Aza Foundation, an organization established to support the community and help them rebuild their lives in the wake of the October 7 attacks. The community saw 62 residents and 18 security personnel killed and another 19 taken hostage by terrorists.

Ari Ingel, Creative Community for Peace Executive Director said, "It's one thing to read headlines about Israel, and another to meet the people living through this moment in history - artists, families, and entire communities who embody resilience and coexistence. This trip was about seeing the real Israel - a country full of diversity, creativity, and hope, even in the face of immense tragedy. The entertainment executives who joined us return with powerful stories to tell and a deeper understanding of how culture can bridge divides and combat the misinformation that fuels hate."

With an eye towards the future and what may be possible under President Trump's 20-point peace plan, the delegation heard from Mohammed Najib, Palestinian defense correspondent, security journalist, and analyst and Dr. Tal Becker, Vice President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. They also visited the Arab village of Abu Gosh where they met with former Mayor Issa Jaber.

The delegation also had opportunities to learn more about the Israeli tech sector and experience Israeli culture while meeting with Eyal Waldman, co-founder of Mellanox Technologies, and taking a culinary tour of the Carmel Market with chef and bestselling author Adeena Sussman, and to connect with their entertainment industry counterparts during an evening hosted by LiveNation Israel.

For more than 40 years, AJC Project Interchange, a nonprofit educational institute of American Jewish Committee (AJC), has brought more than 6,300 influential figures to Israel from more than 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states, offering them broad exposure and firsthand understanding of the complex issues facing Israel and the region. For more, please visit www.ajc.org/projectinterchange

Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a non-profit entertainment industry organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment community who have come together to build bridges through the arts, to educate about rising antisemitism in the entertainment industry, and to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel. We understand the power that music, sports, film, and television has in bringing people together of all backgrounds and believe that the arts are crucial to help bridge cultural divides. We also believe in artists and their ability to affect lives and effect positive change around the world. To learn more, please visit: https://www.creativecommunityforpeace.com

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