Washington, D.C. — In a compelling demonstration of interfaith solidarity and American-Muslim support for the U.S.-Israel alliance, Dr. Anila Ali — Founder and CEO of the American Muslims Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) — joined Israeli Ambassador to the United States H.E. Dr. Yechiel (Michael) Leiter on May 13, 2026, at the Israeli Embassy in Washington to celebrate Israel’s 78th Independence Day. The event brought together senior U.S. officials, members of Congress, ambassadors, and prominent figures from the American Jewish community in a formal reception hosted by the embassy.

Dr. Ali, a Pakistani-American Muslim author, educator, and interfaith advocate long associated with Abraham Accords initiatives, described the evening as “deeply moving” — a gathering that bore witness to Israel’s enduring strength amid a year marked by war, loss, and regional turbulence. Her presence underscored a growing and significant current in American Muslim thought: the conviction that interfaith solidarity, democratic values, and shared humanity must transcend political division.

In a moment that captured the essence of the evening’s interfaith spirit, Dr. Ali chose to ground her remarks in the shared scriptural heritage of both traditions — drawing simultaneously from the Hebrew Bible and the Holy Quran to affirm the spiritual and historical bonds between the faiths.

The invocation of both texts — in a single statement, by a Muslim woman, at the Israeli Embassy — is itself a statement of rare symbolic power. It reflects the kind of moral clarity and courageous bridge-building that defines Dr. Ali’s advocacy and that the Abraham Accords era has increasingly made possible.

The reception drew a bipartisan and internationally representative gathering, reflecting the breadth and depth of Israel’s relationships in Washington’s policy and diplomatic community.

Israel’s 78th Independence Day fell in one of the country’s most challenging years, with the nation still engaged in conflicts stemming from the October 7, 2023 attacks and navigating complex regional negotiations. The Washington reception served as a powerful symbolic reaffirmation of U.S.-Israel ties — and Dr. Ali’s participation added a dimension of Muslim-Jewish solidarity that resonated well beyond the embassy’s walls.

Ambassador Leiter, who assumed the post on January 27, 2025, has made strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance a central pillar of his tenure, engaging across partisan lines and most recently leading rare Lebanon-Israel diplomatic talks in April 2026. The evening was by many accounts a deeply emotional one — celebrating resilience, freedom, and partnership in the face of adversity.