Pro-Israel group launches Latino Jewish Leadership Council

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) announced the creation of a Latino Jewish Leadership Council.  

The council consists of prominent U.S. Latinos, including Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr.,

president of the Hispanic Leadership Institute, Pilar Avila, a member of the New America Alliance, and Hector V. Barreto chairman of the Latino Coalition.

Council members Andrade and Barreto did not respond to PiA’s request for interview.

According to an AJC press release from January 12, “the new national Council will work to further strengthen Latino-Jewish cooperation in advocating for issues of shared concern and values cherished by both communities.”

AJC is a Jewish advocacy organization with the mission “to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and to advance human rights and democratic values for all.”

Israeli advocacy is major part of AJC’s work. According to the organization’s website, countering the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign is “one of AJC’s top priorities.”

AJC also has a history of supporting policies that disproportionately target Muslims. For example, AJC supported Representative Peter King’s 2015 congressional hearings on the radicalization of U.S. Muslims.

This is not the first time the organization has brought together U.S. Jews and Latinos. In 2011, AJC created a bipartisan Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus and hosted a National Conversation on the State of Latino-Jewish Relations in Washington, D.C. in 2013.

 AJC did not respond to PiA’s request for interview.