World Jewish Congress Executive convenes in Jerusalem

The Executive Committee of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), which was elected at the Plenary Assembly in Budapest last May, will meet for the first time in Jerusalem to discuss matters of importance to the Jewish world. Members will hear from Jewish community leaders in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and Ukraine about the situation with respect to extreme-right political parties represented in parliament.

Other topics on the agenda include the situation of Jewish communities in Latin America, the new EU guidelines on funding which exclude Israeli entities based in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, limitations to freedom of religion, notably kosher slaughter and religious circumcision, Israel-Diaspora relations, moderate Islam in Central Asia, and the WJC’s young adult initiatives in North America.

The meeting will be chaired by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder.

Israeli government ministers and members of Knesset, including Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Economy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Avigdor Lieberman and Knesset Member Yitzhak Herzog are slated to speak to the more than 60 participants representing Jewish communities around the world.

Prior to the session of the WJC Executive, the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, which operates under the auspices of the WJC, will host a panel discussion at which US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, Russian Ambassador to Israel SergeyYakovlev, and German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis will address guests.