Euroasian Jewish News
Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress Takes Place in Jerusalem
27.01.2009
On the 26-27th of January, the 13th Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) took place in Jerusalem. The large delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), headed by the President of the EAJC Alexander Mashkevich participated in the Assembly's work. The EAJC delegation represented Jewish communities from 15 countries of the Euro-Asian and Pacific Regions (from India to Bolgaria).
The framework of the Plenary Assembly included a seminar on the relations between Jews and Muslims, with Alexander Mashkevich as.
The deputies of the Assembly re-elected the leadership. Ronald Lauder remained President of the WJC, Alexander Mashkevich was confirmed as a member of the Governing Board of the WJC, and the Vice-President of the EAJC Edward Shifrin became the Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress.
The Plenary Assembly of the WJC took place immediately after the "Cast Lead" anti-terrorist operation of the IDF in Gaza. The highest officials of the State of Israel and the leaders of the oppositions all spoke before the deputies of the Assembly. The speakers included: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the leader of the Kadima party Tzipi Livni, and leader of Likud Benjamin Netanyahu.
Alexander Mashkevich and Edward Shifrin were invited to a personal meeting with the President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres. During the meeting, the president of the EAJC on behalf of the Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress expressed the solidarity of the Jewish diaspora with Israel.
During his visit to Israel, Mashkevich visited Sderot, a city in the south of Israel, which has for many years been under constant rocket fire by terrorists from Gaza. With his colleague and partner, the President of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress Vadim Rabinovich, Mashkevich financed a number of programs to help and restore the city of Sderot. The mayor of Sderot presented them with awars.
The World Jewish Congress was created in 1936 in Switzerland, and united representatives of Jewish communities from different countries. Today, the Congress, the headquarters of which are located in New York, boasts representatives of about a hundred countries, including Israel.
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