The Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) has confirmed Daniel Diker, 50, as the new secretary general of the international umbrella organization representing Jewish communities in 92 countries.
Diker’s appointment took place during the recent Board meeting in Jerusalem on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the WJC’s founding in 1936.
A noted foreign policy expert, Diker grew up in New York and moved to Israel two decades ago. He takes the post after a career as a public policy analyst and journalist. He succeeds Michael Schneider, who served as WJC secretary general for the past four years.
Addressing the 250 WJC delegates, Diker declared: "The power of the World Jewish Congress is in our ability to unite the Jewish world around the values of human rights, civil rights and equal rights and to stand firmly, courageously and even defiantly as a free people. With all the sweeping developments and constant threats to our very existence, it is incumbent upon us as a global Jewish people to rally behind these historic values to promote our unity and resolve."
At the WJC Governing Board, which was addressed by Israel’s President Shimon Peres, Israeli industrialist and philanthropist Nochi Dankner was the recipient of the World Jewish Congress’s Herzl Award for service to Israel and the Jewish world.