European Jewish Press, Belgium
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder
JERUSALEM (EJP) - Over 400 representatives from 80 Jewish communities from all continents attend Sunday in Jerusalem the 13th plenary assembly of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the highest decision-making body of this organization.
During the two-day gathering, WJC president Ronald Lauder stands for re-election while the body will also elect the successor of Matthew Bronfman as Chairman of the Governing Board. There are two candidates for this post, Eduardo Elsztain from Argentina and Alexander Machkevitch from Kazakhstan.
The WJC assembly which takes places under the moto “We stand by Israel”, a few days after Israel’s operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, will also discuss this conflict and other threats against Israel, as well as the repercussions for Jewish communities around the world, notably regarding the related surge in anti-Semitism, the WJC said in a statement.
“At this meeting, we want to give the people of Israel our full support and show them that they are not alone in the face of attacks by militant Islamists which threaten the very existence of the State of Israel,” WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said.
Other prominent topics on the agenda include the Mumbai terror attacks, efforts to delegitimize Israel in international bodies and the situation in Venezuela.
On 27 January, delegates will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day in a special ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial institution in Jerusalem.
Senior Israeli politicians, including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Diaspora Affairs Minister Yitzhak Herzog, Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, are expected to address the WJC’s body.
The New York-based WJC was founded in Geneva in 1936. It serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to governments and international organizations. The plenary assembly meets every 4 years.
