JTA — The American Jewish Committee is calling on President Donald Trump to make the return of Americans in Iranian custody an “urgent national priority,” as his administration works to preserve a fragile ceasefire with Iran.

“The United States must be unequivocal: the wrongful detention or hostage-taking of Americans will not be accepted or sidelined,” the AJC said in a statement issued jointly with other North American groups. “Our adversaries must recognize that harming Americans has lasting consequences, and Americans must be assured that their government will pursue their return with unwavering resolve.”

Along with the AJC, the call came from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights and United Against Nuclear Iran. The co-founders of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum US, the American branch of the group that advocated for the Israeli hostages in Gaza, also signed on.

The groups celebrated the Trump administration’s record of negotiating hostage releases, writing that it had “already demonstrated an extraordinary record in recovering Americans from hostile regions, securing the release of over 70 Americans since January 2025, including every last hostage held in Gaza, living or deceased.”

The groups wrote, “The ability of the US to lead in the recovery of not just Americans held in Gaza, but to secure the release of all hostages taken by Hamas showcases that the time to act decisively is now.”

Among those in captivity is Robert Levinson, a Jewish retired FBI special........

© The Times of Israel