By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 7, 2026 at 7:16 AM
In a significant move to combat antisemitism, Israel has intensified its outreach efforts to American Catholics, recognizing them as a crucial religious constituency. This initiative has been spearheaded by the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism (CCAA), a U.S.-based organization established in late 2023. The CCAA champions the right of Jewish people to live securely in their ancestral homeland and acknowledges the vital role of modern Israel in ensuring this security.
Tammy Ben-Haim, head of religious and interfaith affairs at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the importance of engaging with the CCAA after a pivotal meeting with its director, Simone Rizkallah. Ben-Haim was particularly impressed by Rizkallah’s vision and the organization’s extensive network of influential figures within the American Catholic community.
The CCAA’s “Statement of Solidarity and Action,” developed following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, underscores the right of Jewish people to live securely while also affirming the rights of Palestinians to safety. This statement has garnered support from numerous prominent Catholic leaders.
In response to these developments, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a weeklong trip for 13 American Catholic influencers, including representatives from EWTN News. The trip aimed to address security concerns for Israelis near Gaza and Lebanon and facilitated open dialogues with Israeli Arab and Palestinian Catholics about their experiences and challenges.
The initiative was highlighted on social media by the Israeli government as a journey of “friendship and solidarity,” aimed at deepening the commitment of American Catholic leaders to these critical issues. This outreach reflects a broader effort to foster understanding and cooperation between diverse communities, resonating with the biblical call to seek peace and justice, as seen in Micah 6:8.
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Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
