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Euroasian Jewish News
Extraordinary session of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Plenary Assembly took place in Brussels and Jerusalem.
17.01.2005
Belgium – Israel, January 10-13, 2005
Extraordinary session of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Plenary Assembly took place in Brussels and Jerusalem on January 10-13, 2005.
During the session WJC President Edgar Bronfman and WJC Governing Board Chairman Israel Singer were reelected. Stephen Herbits’s appointment as WJC Secretary General was confirmed.
The Assembly has approved the decision of the WJC leading bodies to declare the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) a full-pledged continental branch of the WJC.
EAJC President Alexander Machkevitch was confirmed as a permanent member of the WJC Steering Committee and WJC Nominations Committee. A. Machkevitch will also enjoy the right of choosing the WJC Regional Vice-President.
Moreover, at EAJC President’s suggestion Vladimir Slutsker, President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC), which is a co-founder of the EAJC, was elected member of the WJC Budget Committee. EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov was elected permanent member of the WJC Commission on Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union.
Upon their arrival in Jerusalem the EAJC leaders met with President of Israel Moshe Katsav. Members of the EAJC Council of Rabbis also took part in the meeting.
In his opening address Moshe Katsav congratulated Alexander Machkevitch on the occasion of his having been elected to leading positions in WJC supreme bodies.
“We welcome today the widely recognized leader of the transcontinental Jewish community that inhabits the territories from New Zealand to Slovenia, the leader whose efforts contribute to promoting constructive interaction of our people with the Islamic world,” – said the President of Israel.
During the talks the parties discussed the necessity of Jewish Diasporas supporting the new Israeli Government, which had been created to intensify the peacemaking process in the Near East, and the corresponding participation of the State of Israel and community in the international inter-religious dialog conducted under the patronage of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nasarbaev.
As A. Machkevitch told the press in his interview upon the end of the talks while especially pointing out his regular cooperation with the President of Israel, “The discussion has highlighted a wide range of issues – from the possible dialog between international Jewish organizations with Israeli neighbor-states to investments in business projects that could minimize social tension in “hot spots” of the region.”
Before the talks with the President of Israel the EAJC delegation met Vice Prime-Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom, Israeli Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin, Member of Knesset Victor Brailovsky (“Shinui” Party) as well as with other officials.
At the same time with the WJC Assembly Jerusalem hosted another EAJC Council of Rabbis Conference. A. Machkevitch, Israeli Minister for Jerusalem, Social and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky, Chief Rabbi of Israel Jona Metzger, Member of Israeli Knesset Yury Stern (“Ichud Leumi” faction) and delivered their welcoming speeches to the participants of the Conference.
EAJC Public Relations and Media Department
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