Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs#Programs
{{Distinguish|Jewish Council for Public Affairs}}
{{Short description|Israeli political think tank}}
{{primary|date=May 2023}}
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{{Infobox organization
| name = Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs
| type = Public Policy Think Tank
| founded_date = 1976{{cite web|url=http://www.jcpa.org/dje/aboutdje.htm |title=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: About Daniel J. Elazar |publisher=Jcpa.org |access-date=2011-11-11}}
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| founder = Daniel J. Elazar
| location = Beit Milken, 13 Tel Hai St. Jerusalem{{cite web|url=http://jcpa.org/contact-us/|title=Contact Us|publisher=JCPA|access-date=22 August 2013}}
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| key_people = Dore Gold (President, 2000 - 2015 & 2016 - present){{cite web|url=http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=84&FID=253&PID=369 |title=About the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |year=2010 |publisher=JCPA |access-date=13 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008080916/http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=84&FID=253&PID=369 |archive-date= 8 October 2010 }}
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| homepage = [http://jcpa.org jcpa.org]
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The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA),{{Cite web |title=Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs |url=https://jcpa.org/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs |language=en |quote=The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) has been officially renamed the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA).}} formerly the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), is an Israeli think tank specializing in public diplomacy and foreign policy founded in 1976."About the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs," Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, http://jcpa.org/about/ JCPA publishes the biennial journal Jewish Political Studies Review alongside other content.
History
Scholar Daniel Elazar founded Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) as an independent, non-profit research and policy studies institute to analyze key problems facing Israel and world Jewry in 1976.{{cite news |last1=Gildenhuys |first1=Gabi |title=Giant’ in Jewry dead at age 65 |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/giant-in-jewry-dead-at-age-65 |access-date=11 March 2025 |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=1999-12-05}} JCPA incorporated two institutes: the Center for Jewish Community Studies, founded in 1970 to analyze the policy implications of the political, civic, and communal dimensions of Jewish life, and the Jerusalem Institute for Federal Studies, founded in 1976 to conduct research on Arab-Israeli peace.{{cite journal |title=Announcements |journal=Newsletter |date=Fall 1987 |volume=3 |issue=1 |page=12 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41805826 |publisher=Association for Israel Studies}}
Israeli diplomat Dore Gold headed JCPA from 2000 to 2015, when he took a leave of absence to become director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.{{cite news |newspaper=Haaretz |author= Chemi Shalev |title= Adelson-linked Think Tank Article Preceded Netanyahu's Hitler-Mufti Claim |date=24 October 2015 |url= https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-adelson-linked-think-tank-article-preceded-pm-s-mufti-claim-1.5412970 |access-date=12 June 2019 }}{{cite news |last= Keinon |first= Herb |title= Dore Gold picked as new Foreign Ministry director-general |url= http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Dore-Gold-picked-as-new-Foreign-Ministry-director-general-404015 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=May 25, 2015 |access-date=September 3, 2015}} Gold returned as president in October 2016.{{cite web |title=Dore Gold Returns to Head the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |url=http://jcpa.org/dore-gold-returns-to-head-the-jerusalem-center-for-public-affairs/ |website=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |access-date=12 June 2019 |date=30 October 2016}} In 2023, American diplomat Jason Greenblatt joined the JCPA as senior director for Arab–Israel diplomacy.{{cite news |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2292281/world |title=Former US envoy to Israel Jason Greenblatt joins Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |work=Arab news}}
In October 2024, JCPA changed its name to the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) to evolve from a think tank to a center focusing on policy diplomacy and communications.{{cite news |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=Alan |title=From a think tank to a ‘do tank’: The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs changed name and mission |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-824118 |access-date=4 March 2025 |work=Jerusalem Post |date=2024-10-10}}
=Building=
Elazar personally raised most of the funds for the operation of the organization and the restoration of an historic building on Tel Hai Street in Jerusalem, named in honor of the Milken family.{{cite web|url=http://www.jcpa.org/cjc/vp-420-gerstenfeld.htm |title=The Intellectual World of Daniel Elazar |publisher=Jcpa.org |access-date=2011-11-11}} The building, Beit Milken, served as the Embassy of Uruguay from 1957 to 1980, when Uruguay decided to move their embassy to Tel Aviv.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8-ZUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6410%2C1424678 |title=Uruguay Embassy Leaves Jerusalem |publisher=The Age |date=1980-08-18 |access-date=2013-09-15}} In 1989, the 1,200 ton building was moved 16 meters on rails to reach the site it currently occupies.{{cite web|url=http://jcpa.org/our-building-a-protected-jerusalem-landmark/ |title=Our Building: A Protected Jerusalem Landmark |publisher=Jcpa.org |access-date=2013-09-15}}
=Political orientation=
According to JCFA, it is apolitical organization, with a large number of experts on Arab affairs across the world. In 2015 Haaretz identified Sheldon Adelson as "one of the main financers of JCFA in recent years";
Activities
According to JFCA's leadership, the center engages with countries in the Arab world with whom Israel does not have formal relations.
;Institute for Contemporary Affairs
The Jerusalem Center founded the Institute for Contemporary Affairs (ICA) jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://www.cambridgeforecast.org/richard863/MIDDLEEAST/JCPA-ISRAELIZATIONOFWASHINGTON.html |title=Israelization of Washington Policy: the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |publisher=CambridgeForecast.org |date=2004-08-01 |access-date=2013-09-12}} The current director of the ICA is Ambassador Alan Baker.{{cite web|url=http://ambassadoralanbaker.com/about/ |title=About Alan Baker |publisher=AmbassadorAlanBaker.com |access-date=2013-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112233533/http://ambassadoralanbaker.com/about/ |archive-date=2013-11-12 }} Through this outlet, the JCPA publishes Jerusalem Issue Briefs and Jerusalem Viewpoints.{{cite web|url=http://jcpa.org/program/institute-for-contemporary-affairs/ |title=Institute of Contemporary Affairs |publisher =JCPA.org |access-date=2013-09-12}} They also publish the twice-yearly Strategic Perspectives, special reports presenting studies on Israeli security and diplomacy topics by the Contributing Editors board of the ICA.{{cite web|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?lng=en&id=45269 |title=JCPA Strategic Perspectives |publisher=Isn.ethz.ch |access-date=2013-09-15}}
;Institute for Global Jewish Affairs
In 2008, JCFA founded the Institute for Global Jewish Affairs in response to growing international anti-Semitism. It was directed by Manfred Gerstenfeld until 2021.{{cite web |url= http://www.ovguide.com/institute-for-global-jewish-affairs-9202a8c04000641f8000000009273a03# |title= Watch "Institute for Global Jewish Affairs" Video |work= OVGuide |access-date= 2013-11-12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113054805/http://www.ovguide.com/institute-for-global-jewish-affairs-9202a8c04000641f8000000009273a03 |archive-date= 2013-11-13 |url-status= dead }}{{cite web |url=https://besacenter.org/manfred-gerstenfeld-in-memoriam/ |title=Manfred Gerstenfeld in memoriam|date=25 February 2021 }}
The institute helps direct the "Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism Project" and its associated monthly publication "Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism," both of which attend to global anti-Semitism.{{cite web |url= http://www.unmaskedthemovie.com/learn_more/related_websites.html |title= UNMASKED JUDEOPHOBIA - The Threat to Civilization |access-date= 2013-11-07 |archive-date= 2015-01-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150108112606/http://www.unmaskedthemovie.com/learn_more/related_websites.html |url-status= dead }}
;Conferences
On March 24, 2014, the Jerusalem Center held a conference entitled "Europe and Israel: A New Paradigm." The conference focused on the complicated relationship between Israel and Europe, including topics such as economics and the BDS movement, security and anti-Semitism. The conference was well attended and received a significant amount of press, including articles in The Times of Israel,{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-ready-to-pay-palestinians-who-renounce-right-of-return/|title=EU ready to pay Palestinians who renounce right of return|work=The Times of Israel| first=Raphael|last=Ahren|date=March 24, 2014}} The Jerusalem Post,{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/EU-aid-package-meant-to-assure-Israel-that-Palestine-wont-become-a-failed-state-346334|title=EU aid package meant to assure Israel that 'Palestine' won't become a failed state|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Herb|last=Keinon|date=March 24, 2014}} J-Wire,{{cite web |url=http://www.jwire.com.au/news/lovehate-relationship/41528 |title=Love/Hate Relationship |access-date=2014-04-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406204045/http://www.jwire.com.au/news/lovehate-relationship/41528 |archive-date=2014-04-06|date=March 27, 2014|first=Michael|last=Kuttner|work=J-Wire}} Ynetnews,{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4502877,00.html|title=EU-Israel ties growing, despite disagreements|work=The Media Line|publisher=Ynetnews|date=March 24, 2014}} and CBN News.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2014/March/Israeli-EU-Trade-Relations-in-Tact/|title=Israeli, EU Trade in Tact [sic] Despite BDS|date=8 September 2014|first=Tzippe|last=Barrow}}
;Publications
The JCFA publishes the Jewish Political Studies Review, a biannual journal that describes itself as "dedicated to the study of Jewish political institutions and behavior, Jewish political thought, and Jewish public affairs".{{cite journal |title=Introduction |journal=Jewish Political Studies Review |volume=23 |date=Spring 2011 |page=2}}
See also
- NGO Monitor (Non-governmental Organization Monitor), Jerusalem-based NGO, which analyzes the output of international NGOs from a pro-Israel perspective. Run between 2001-2007 by the JCFA.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{official website|http://jcpa.org/about/}}
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Category:Organizations based in Jerusalem
Category:Jewish political organizations
Category:Jewish studies research institutes
Category:Think tanks based in Israel