Latino and Jewish leaders met in Washington, D.C. and pledged to work toward immigration reform and foreign policy goals. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

American Latino and Jewish leaders have declared a commitment to work together to advance immigration reform and promoting allied relations with Israel and Latin American nations. They also affirmed the right of Israel to exist as the Jewish homeland.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) on April 16 issued a press release on the outcome of two-day Washington, DC conference, the National Conversation on the State of Latino-Jewish Relations. “We consider ourselves partners and allies with whom we share common historical experiences, knowledge, challenges and successes,” a statement on the conference reads. “Today, there is a sense of urgency in both communities for a stronger and more effective Latino-Jewish collaboration to advance joint visions and goals at home and abroad,” said Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute.

Leaders of both groups pledged to work toward the development of “pragmatic common sense solutions to fix our legal immigration system so as to meet the economic and national security needs of the U.S. in the 21st century, reflecting our shared American values of justice, equal opportunity, family unification and human dignity.” The leaders also pledged to advocate for “the commitment of the U.S. to the furtherance of critical bilateral relationships with the countries of Latin America and with Israel as strategic allies.”

“We affirm the right of Israel as the Jewish homeland to exist in peace within secure borders, and support the unbreakable bonds of friendship between Israel and the United States. We strongly support a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that will bring about peaceful co-existence between these two peoples,” the statement said.