Susie Gelman Elected Israel Policy Forum Chair as the US Pro-Israel Organization Launches Its “Two-State Security Project”
NEW YORK, June 6 — Susie Gelman — former President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington for three terms and the inaugural board chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation, among her many positions during forty years as a leader in the nonprofit community — was elected chair of Israel Policy Forum (IPF), the nonpartisan American Jewish organization that mobilizes support for a viable two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I am honored and delighted to assume this new position at IPF,” said Gelman, a member of IPF’s board before becoming its chair.
“Admittedly, these are challenging times for proponents of a two-state solution,” she noted. “Bilateral talks are frozen, leadership on both sides lacks political courage, Israel’s new governing coalition is even more right-wing than the previous one, and ongoing violence has made despair reign over trust. These conditions make this the moment for those of us who care about the Israeli- Palestinian future to seize upon the current vacuum and demonstrate that separating into two states is the only viable solution to the conflict — and that such a solution can ultimately be achieved. “IPF’s history of representing the majority of American and Israeli Jews in our vision and our mission, coupled with our new, reinvigorated Board comprising some of the American Jewish community’s most highly respected mainstream leaders, make IPF uniquely poised to lead this critically important effort,” Gelman declared.
“IPF’s history of representing a majority of American and Israeli Jews in our vision and mission coupled with our new, reinvigorated Board comprising some of the American Jewish community’s most highly respected mainstream leaders makes IPF uniquely poised to lead this critically important effort,” Gelman declared.
She points in particular to IPF’s partnership with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), which produced two reports released in the past two weeks. These studies demonstrate that “there is a way forward that both addresses Israel’s legitimate security concerns and creates a detailed path to realizing a two-state solution,” Gelman explained
“I am enormously excited and encouraged by this partnership,” she added. “It led to our new Two-State Security Project, , which enables IPF to present bold, new ideas to policy makers and to continue providing ways for American Jewish leaders to change the discourse and mobilize support for two states – the only solution that guarantees Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic, and secure state.”
Gelman succeeds Peter Joseph, who has served as IPF’s chair for the past eight years. “Peter’s determined leadership over this period positions our organization to meet these difficult challenges and assume a more robust role in galvanizing this support,” she said.
“I am very pleased that IPF has been able to attract someone with Susie’s energy, enthusiasm and experience to head up our Board,” Joseph said. “With her leadership and the recent additions to our Board, IPF is primed to play an even more influential role in rallying backing for a two-state solution.”
Joseph now assumes the title of Chair Emeritus, Joining him and Gelman on IPF’s new Board of Directors are: Charles R. Bronfman (chair, Advisory Committee), E. Robert Goodkind (vice chair), Alisa Levin (secretary), Lawrence C. Gottlieb (treasurer), Robert Elman, Alan P. Solow and Robert Sugarman on the Executive Committee; plus Harold R. Handler, Peter S. Kolevzon, Rabbi Marion Lev-Cohen, Robert K. Lifton (founding chair), Dana Wechsler Linden, Adena Philips, Edward B. Robin, Jeffrey R. Solomon, James E. Walker, III, and Michael D. Young.
Gelman, a resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland, still serves on the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s board of directors and as a member of Birthright Israel’s board as well as the Taglit-Birthright Israel planning committee. She was president of the Board of trustees of Georgetown Day School and currently co-chairs the Israel Religious Expressions Platform (iRep), an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), focused on freedom of choice of marriage in Israel.
