Edgar M. Bronfman; Stephen E. Herbits
photo: UN Photo
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has said he understands concerns in the Jewish community over his recent meeting with his predecessor Kurt Waldheim, the former Austrian president whose past as a Nazi officer was exposed by the World Jewish Congress in the 1980s. At a meeting between the head of the United Nations and a WJC delegation at the UN headquarters in New York, the president of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar M. Bronfman, told Ban that it was the appearance of the meeting that worried him, particularly since Waldheim was widely shunned by the international community. Ban has said the Waldheim meeting was a personal one. Waldheim has denied committing war crimes, though he admitted to lying about his service in the German army. On Wednesday Ban met with the Israeli defense minister, Amir Peretz, and foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and he will visit the Middle East later this month. He pointed out to the WJC that he would urge the Palestinians to honor their past commitments to Israel. The WJC delegation also included secretary-general Stephen E Herbits, WJC American Section chairman rabbi Marc Schneier, and director of international organizations, Shai Franklin.
