Mainstream American Jewish organizations reacted with grief and fury to the murders of kidnapped Israeli teenagers Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, while their liberal counterparts responded with grief and calls for peace.

The forum is a critical venue that provides the necessary tools...to export Israel’s message of freedom and democracy... “This is an historic opportunity to support democratic movements in the Middle East, and speak out against the manipulation of popular hope by extremists.”

Dan Diker, secretary general of the World Jewish Congress, said that creating a common voice among Jewish parliamentarians was one of the most important public diplomacy objectives for Israel and the Jewish world.