Distinguished American Leader Appointed
Senior Strategic Advisor
The Henry Jackson Society is delighted to announce that David Harris will be joining as Senior Strategic Advisor, effective June 1st 2023.
Serving most recently as the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) from 1990-2022, David Harris has played a pivotal role in shaping critical global issues as a wider American leader, much like Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson himself. Over the course of the past five decades, he has been at the forefront of attempts to promote shared democratic values and ideas, and strengthen alliances across the Free World.
As a human rights activist, David Harris championed those oppressed by the former Soviet Union, and helped create the consensus that the USSR was morally reprehensible as well as a strategic competitor. He supported an end to Communism in eastern Europe, has advocated extensively for NATO expansion, and has contributed to the recent flowering of diplomacy in the New Middle East. He has been a spirited fighter in combatting global Antisemitism and resolute in promoting interfaith dialogue, as well as an understanding of the history of genocide and its contemporary relevance. He was referred to by the late Israeli President and Nobel Laureate Shimon Peres as “the foreign minister of the Jewish people”, and is the most decorated Jewish organizational leader in U.S. history.
As well as being the recipient of four honorary doctorates, including the most recent one in 2022 from Brandeis University, David Harris received his education at the University of Pennsylvania and London School of Economics. He also served as a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University and both a Junior and Senior Associate at Oxford University. He is the author of several books, as well as hundreds of op-eds and articles on global issues in leading media outlets around the world.
Commenting on his new position, David Harris said:
“Senator Henry Jackson was an outstanding American legislator, whom I had the privilege of meeting. He advanced the core values of liberal democratic societies. At the same time, he stood resolute against the threats posed by tyrannies, notably, at the time, the Soviet Union, and he fought relentlessly on behalf of human rights behind the Iron Curtain. He is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on powerfully in the Henry Jackson Society. HJS is exactly what our challenging times need — an all-too-rare voice of intellectual depth, moral clarity, political independence, and unwavering courage. I am excited to join Alan Mendoza and his impressive team, and to assist in advancing the noble vision of the late Senator Jackson.”
Speaking on behalf of HJS, Dr Alan Mendoza remarked:
“David Harris has been one of the leading global advocates of democracy, freedom and real human rights for decades. He has championed these causes at the very highest levels, speaking truth to power without fear or favour. His advocacy has made a lasting difference to the lives of those struggling to secure their liberty across the world. We are honoured and delighted that he has chosen to commence a chapter of his distinguished career with HJS, and look forward to working together in pursuit of a shared mission that is as necessary and relevant as ever.”
David Harris and The Henry Jackson Society are available for further comment at [email protected]