On May 5-7, the XIV Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) took place in Budapest (Hungary), Over 500 delegates representing over 70 countries participated in the Assembly.

The World Jewish Congress, representing the Jewish communities of over 100 countries, is seen as the highest representative body of the Jewish people. The WJC is an international organization dedicated to protecting Jewish interests before governments, parliaments, and assorted international structures.

The Plenary Assembly is the highest WJC governing body. The Assembly gathers every once in four years and elects the WJC leadership. The Jewish communities that are a part of the WJC delegate a number of representatives to the Assembly that is proportionate to the Jewish population in their respective countries.

Usually WJC Plenary Assemblies are held in Jerusalem, but this year's was an exception. The choice of Hungary for the Assembly was due to the growing anti-Semitism in this country and the fact that the anti-Semitically-inclined party “Jobbik” had made it into the parliament. The holding of the WJC Plenary Assembly in Budapest thus became both a symbolic protest against the growth of anti-Semitism and a sign of solidarity with the Jewish community of Hungary. One of its goals was to attract the attention of the global community to what is happening in Hungary, and this was mostly achieved, as the unusual choice attracted much media attention.

Ronald Lauder, WJC President since 2007, was re-elected to this post in Budapest.

Baron David de Rothschild, representing the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF), was elected the new Chariman of the WJC Governing Board, the body that makes decisions between the Plenary Assemblies.

The new WJC Treasurer is Chella Safra (The Jewish Confederation of Brazil).

The President of the European Jewish Congress Vyacheslav (Moshe) Kantor was elected to the post of Chairman of the WJC Policy Council, the body which develops recommendations on the WJC policy strategies as well as planning international programs and their implementations. The Co-Chairman of the Policy Council is Mervyn Smith (South African Jewish Representative Council).
The WJC Executive Committee automatically included the leaders of the WJC continental divisions – EAJC President Vadim Shulman; European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor; President of the Latin American Jewish Congress Jack Terpins; WJC Israel Chair Shai Hermesh; WJC North America Chair Evelyn Sommer.

Robert Singer (born in Chernivtsy, Ukraine) was approved as the new WJC Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President. After his repatriation he served in the IDF, then worked for 12 years in the Liaison Bureau (Nativ), and was the leader of World ORT, the largest Jewish educational organization in the world for the last 14 years.

The Assembly made changes to the WJC Charter so that the leaders of the 12 largest Jewish communities of the world (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Russia, South Africa, USA, and Ukraine) would be represented a the WJC Executive Committee as Vice Presidents. This post is for leaders of organizations accepted by the WJC as community representatives. Russia and Ukraine both have two such organizations. Thus, two Vice Presidents were delegated from Russia: VAAD President, EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov and Russian Jewish Congress President Yuri Kanner; and two Vice Presidents from Ukraine: VAAD Ukraine Chairman, EAJC General Council Chairman Josef Zisels and President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Fuchsman.

Five Vice Presidents from small communities were also elected: the representatives of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Czech Republic; the Jewish community of Georgia (EAJC General Council member Guram Batiashvili); the Central Council of Jewish Communities of Greece; the Jewish Community of Kyrgyzstan (EAJC General Council Member Vladimir Kritzman); and the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela.

3 representatives were also elected from the largest of international Jewish organizations affiliated with the WJC: the International Council of Jewish Women, the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), and the World ORT, as well as three representatives of Jewish youth structures.

10 Vice Presidents were elected by vote from the Assembly deputies: Serge Berdugo (Morocco), Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich (Ukraine), Guiora Esrubilsky (Brazil), Robert Goot (Australia), Shai Hermesh (Israel), Ariel Muzicant (Austria), Marcos Peckel (Columbia), Moshe Ronen (Canada), Rabbi Arthur Schneier (USA), and Tamar Shchory (Israel). One more Vice President candidate was proposed by the WJC President: Eduardo Elsztein, who was earlier Chairman of the WJC Governing Board.

Vice President candidates for three out of five continental divisions of the WJC (including from the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress) have not been approved yet.

The main topics for discussion at the Assembly were the growth of anti-Semitism and the activity of radical right movements and parties in European countries (“Jobbik” in Hungary, “The People's Association – Golden Dawn” in Greece, and so on); perspectives of the peace process in the Near East; the Iranian nuclear threat; problems with freedom of religious practice in a number of European countries (attempt to officially ban circumcision and the ritual slaughtering of cattle).

After the discussion, a resolution was adopted that called for Hungary to “realize that Jobbik and its supporters are a fundamental threat to Hungarian democracy.” The resolution calls for the Hungarian authorities to take effective measures, including legislative measures, to protect all citizens and especially representatives of national minorities such as Jews and Roma from any manifestations of hate, racism, and violence based on nationality.

One more WJC resolution addressed to the global community calls for acknowledging the right of Jewish refugees from Arabic countries who were forced to leave their homes and propertyu due to persecution after the creation of the State of Israeli in 1948.