World Jewish Congress
Encyclopedia
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) was founded in Geneva
, Switzerland
, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. According to its mission statement, the World Jewish Congress' main purpose is to act as "the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people." Membership in the WJC is open to all representative Jewish groups or communities, irrespective of the social, political or economic ideology of the community's host country. The World Jewish Congress has special credentials and recognition at the United Nations and within many of its institutions, commissions and sub-bodies. Its headquarters are in New York City
, USA, and the organization maintains international offices in Brussels, Belgium; Jerusalem, Israel; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Geneva, Switzerland.
The WJC also maintains a research institute based in Jerusalem, Israel. The Institute is involved in research and analysis of a variety of issues of importance to contemporary Jewry, and its findings are published in the form of monthly Policy Dispatches. Under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, the Israel Council on Foreign Relations has since its inception in 1989 hosted heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other distinguished visitors to Israel and has issued several publications on Israeli foreign policy and international affairs.
In 1951, Nahum Goldmann
, then president of the WJC, cofounded the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany - the Claims Conference
, as a body to engage the German government in negotiations for material compensation for Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. The World Jewish Congress designates two members to the Board of Directors of the Conference.
In 1992 the WJC established the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) as an organization for the restitution of Jewish property in the rest of Europe (outside Germany). It has been active in the claims against Swiss banks.
In 2000 the World Jewish Congress shaped the policy debate about looted art
by criticizing museums "for waiting for artworks to be claimed by Holocaust victims instead of publicly announcing that they have suspect items."
The WJC is involved in inter-faith dialogue
with Christian and Muslim groups. http://www.wjc.org.il/publications/dialogues.html. One of its major new programs is concerned with the plight of Jewish refugees
from Arab lands.
(Ukraine), Helena Glaser (Israel), Robert Goot (Australia), Flo Kaufmann (Great Britain), Charlotte Knobloch
(Germany), Tomas Kraus (Czech Republic), Tamar Shchory (Israel), Marc Schneier
(USA), and Mervyn Smith (South Africa). Other WJC vice-presidents appointed by the regional affiliates are: Roger Cukierman, France (for the European Jewish Congress), Moshe Ronen, Canada (for the North American Jewish Congress), Eduard Shifrin, Russia (for the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), and Sara Winkowski, Uruguay (for the Latin American Jewish Congress). Ex-officio members of the WJC Executive are the heads of the five regional affiliates, currently Alexander Machkevitch of Kazakhstan (Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), Moshe Kantor of Russia (European Jewish Congress), Evelyn Sommer of the United States (WJC North America), Jack Terpins of Brazil (Latin American Jewish Congress), and Shai Hermesh
of Israel (WJC Israel).
A smaller Steering Committee is running the day-to-day activities of the World Jewish Congress. It is composed of the president, the chairman of the WJC Governing Board, the treasurer and the chairmen of the five WJC regional affiliates. Other members may be appointed by the Executive Committee.
In June 2011, the New York-born Israeli foreign policy analyst B. Daniel Diker was appointed as new secretary-general of the World Jewish Congress.
Funds raised by the Foundation are distributed to the World Jewish Congress via a formal grant process. Under this process, the World Jewish Congress and its related entities submit grant requests directly to the Foundation, which reviews them and then determines who will receive grants, for what purposes, for what amount, and under what conditions. The Foundation also receives and reviews reports on grant award usage and will take the necessary steps to ensure full compliance with the Internal Revenue Service and State regulations, as well as with Federal anti-terrorism regulations.
The WJC Foundation is governed by a board of directors. The number of board members that occupy positions with other World Jewish Congress entities is limited to no more than 20 percent. Ronald S. Lauder was elected honorary chairman of the Board of the Foundation. Herbert Juli is the executive director of the Foundation, which has its offices in Miami, Florida.
On the Middle East peace process, the WJC favors a two-state solution , stating on its website that “a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians based on a two-state solution is the only legitimate and just way to provide for a lasting peace. The nascent Palestinian state should respect the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. A Palestinian state can only be founded if it respects Israel’s right to exist in security. Initiatives that help to enable the Palestinians to advance economically and socially should also be supported as a means of stabilising the peace process.”
The WJC also lobbies international organizations, notably the UN, to ensure that governments “apply the same standards to Israel when judging its actions compared with those of other countries.” The WJC states on its website that “Israel should not be singled out for criticism by countries which do not themselves adhere to the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law” and that “Israel needs to be treated fairly in international organisations, especially in United Nations bodies such as the Human Rights Council.”
The WJC has been very active in inter-religious dialogue and good relations with the Catholic Church. The organization played a leading role in the dialogue with the Vatican over many decades. Progress, however, is slow with regard to the Orthodox and Protestant Churches. In February 2009, WJC President Lauder was critical of the Vatican’s decision to revoke the excommunication of Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson, who had denied the existence of gas chambers in Nazi concentration camps.
The World Jewish Congress also considers dialogue with representatives of moderate Islam as “one of the most important and challenging issues at this time. The increasing gap of understanding between so-called Western liberal democracies and the Islamic word is extremely dangerous,” according to the WJC website. In 2008, WJC leaders met with Saudi King Abdullah at an inter-faith conference in the Spanish capital Madrid. Later that year, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder met with the Saudi monarch in New York. The WJC believes that the three Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) can cooperate “to respond to the challenges posed by developments in modern society, especially to discuss and promote shared values.”
In August 2008, World Jewish Congress and Venezuelan Jewish community leaders met in Caracas with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frias. The meeting stirred some controversy in the Jewish world because of Chávez’ public support for Iranian President Ahmadinejad and his strong criticism of Israel. However, WJC Secretary-General Michael Schneider defended the meeting with Chávez and said the WJC acted only on behalf of, and with the backing of, the Venezuelan Jewish community.
On the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab lands after the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, the World Jewish Congress states that “The plight of Jews who fled from, or still live in, Arab lands and their specific concerns are not well-known and need to be raised with governments and international organisations. Where illegal seizure of assets took place, these should be returned to their former owners, or adequate compensation should be paid. Jews remaining in Arab lands, as well as other religious minorities, should be granted religious freedom and allowed to practice their faith according to their traditions. Jewish communal sites in Arab countries must be preserved and respected.”
Moshe Ronen
, vice-president of the World Jewish Congress and national chairman of the Canada-Israel Committee
stated in May 2009, after the Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon
declared Israel's expansion of settlements into Palestinian territory
an "illegal move", that it his job to influence the government (of Canada), disputing that the issue of the (Israeli) settlements has damaged the Peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In July 2011, Olympic news outlet Around the Rings reported that World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder issued a statement urging IOC officials to ban Iran from participating in the Olympic Games, citing Iranian athletes' refusal to compete against Israeli athletes. "It is high time that a strong signal is sent to Iran that unless this long-standing boycott is lifted, Iranian athletes will not be allowed to enter major international events such as next year’s Olympic Games in London" Lauder said.
, founded in 1998, have secured millions of dollars for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in payments from Germany, Swiss banks
, Insurances and other parties totaling $20 billion. See also: World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks
.
According to the Independent
, a series of allegations about the organization's accounting practices and "unusual" money transfers, raised by Isi Liebler, the WJC's senior vice-president, led to a full scale investigation of the finances of the World Jewish Congress.
Although most of WJC's income comes from thousands of small donations, the organization is struggling. The New York Times states that "Donations fell in 2005, and, according to its financial statements, its expenses were $17 million and its revenues were $9.4 million." A professional fund raising company, using direct mail fund-raising, yielded a projected $8.15 million [USD] while charging an annual fee of $3.5 million. A comprehensive audit of the WJC's accounts in Switzerland from 1995–2004, conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers
, an accounting firm, found that "over the years $3.8 million 'disappeared' from the bank accounts" and that there were "significant un-reconciled cash withdrawals where there is no documentation of the usage of the funds."
Rabbi Israel Singer
was dismissed after a tumultuous period for the organization when its Swiss affiliate discovered that 1.2 million USD were involved in suspicious money transfers between accounts in New York, Switzerland and London to a WJC numbered bank account
at a UBS branch in Geneva. The Geneva office was not aware of the account and until "the manager, Maya Ben-Haim Rosen, received a bank statement showing that a UBS account she was unaware of had been overdrawn by $40 when Mr. Singer transferred the money" to Zvi Barak, an Israeli lawyer. The WJC's General Counsel in Geneva, Daniel Lack, called for an independent audit of the WJC's accounts, but his requests were ignored. Although the money was recovered it was not until much later that deeper investigations about the organizations finances were conducted, which found various irregularities as well as lavish travel and other expenses incurred by Mr. Singer.
Haaretz
reported that the name of the organization "was associated with financial irregularities, corruption
and endless power struggles." New York State attorney general Eliot Spitzer
conducted a comprehensive audit
of the WJC over a two-year period and on January 31, 2006 entered into an Agreement of Discontinuance with the WJC, resolving the investigation and summarizing its key findings. According to the agreement, the investigation "presented the organization as one in which corruption had spread in recent years", identified financial mismanagement and breaches of fiduciary duty, but found no criminal wrongdoing and concluded that any misconduct “did not compromise the core mission” of the organization or result in “identifiable losses of charitable assets.” An article in the Haaretz points out that the Spitzer report neglected the audit of the WJC's accounts in Switzerland from 1995–2004 and did not include the most serious charges and accusations.
Despite vigorously defending Rabbi Singer during the Attorney General's inquiry, in March 2007 Bronfman abruptly announced the firing of Rabbi Singer. Bronfman accused Singer of stealing his money in an article published by Haaretz: "'Singer helped himself to cash from the WJC office, my cash,' wrote Bronfman to European Jewish Congress
President Pierre Besnainou in a letter. 'The final blow came when we discovered that he was playing games with his hotel bills in Jerusalem.' ... [Singer] boasted of his ability to put one over on presidents and prime ministers, and with the same degree of pride enumerated heads of state as his personal friends. In retrospect, it has emerged that during the same period, Singer himself behaved as though he himself were a head of state, living ostentatiously at the expense of the donors to the WJC." The Jewish Daily Forward
provided more details between the "back-and-forth accusations" and denials "about which side leaked the material to the media". According to the article, WJC Secretary General Stephen Herbits
accused Singer himself of leaking this memo to the media. Subsequent press reports indicated that the memo was leaked from another organization unaffiliated with Rabbi Singer, suggesting that Mr. Herbits' allegations were incorrect.
However, internal WJC documents point to a different explanation for Rabbi Singer's firing. E-mails from Mr. Herbits' deputy, Pinchas Shapiro, to Rabbi Singer only days before his firing, suggested that friction had developed between Rabbi Singer and Edgar Bronfman over Rabbi Singer's position on various internal WJC political matters, including the perception that he was insufficiently advocating the candidacy of Edgar Bronfman's son Matthew to the presidency of the WJC. Indeed, Matthew Bronfman had for months been favored by his father and Mr. Herbits to become the next WJC president. A memo from Mr. Herbits to Matthew in late 2006 outlined a number of strategies for succeeding to his father's position. Among other things, the memo stressed the importance of ensuring the support of Rabbi Singer.
The New York Times wrote in May 2007, that "Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., the billionaire liquor magnate who is its largest patron, had resigned as its president" because of the turmoil. The Jewish Daily Forward points out, that the resignation ended "one of the most prolific and controversial tenures in American Jewish communal Leadership... The move follows three years of internecine fighting at the WJC, which included an investigation by the New York attorney general and more recent divisions between Bronfman and the organization’s affiliates across the world.".
Another investigation against the World Jewish Congress is still ongoing, this time by the federal Internal Revenue Service.
Bronfman's status within the organization allowed him to promote Rabbi Israel Singer's position in other organizations, such as president of the Jewish Claims Conference and chairman of the board of the World Jewish Restitution Organization. Other senior officials who left the World Jewish Congress received retirement grants of $1 million each. The accountant of the Geneva office of the World Jewish Congress had been paying himself around $1,900 more than his approved salary. Not only senior officials but also associates of the World Jewish Congress received large compensations. Curtis Hoxter, the owner of a public relations firm that provided services to the WJC, was paid around $200,000 a year during 2001–2003. The Spitzer report points out that "the WJC did not report these payments to the U.S. tax authorities. Hoxter told Haaretz that he did no work for the Congress in those years, and claimed he did not receive any payment. The documents indicate otherwise."
Rabbi Israel Singer, in the position as the president of the Claims Conference, "an umbrella organization that has paid millions of dollars to the March of the Living, a Holocaust education group that brings students to Poland and Israel ... began payments to Hoxter totaling $709,000 in 2003. That was the same year Singer 'was instructed to stop funneling unauthorized payments to him via the World Jewish Congress ‹ payments that had by then totaled $657,600,'" Singer denied the accusations and Hoxter states that he can not state the specifics of his position. In an Article of the Jewish Week Israel Singer is cited with the following statement: "I'm not involved in allocating Claims Conference funds and certainly have no say or interest in any consultants that grant recipients might choose to hire. ..."
"I have no idea. I have no recollection. It was just something I assisted on. I prefer not to go into any details. It was not a major activity. I’d have to check my records.”
Several internal disputes of the World Jewish Congress followed within the last decade. The firing of Rabbi Israel Singer has been associated with the internal power struggles on Bronfman's behalf - according the a March 25, 2007 article published by Haaretz "Singer told Bronfman that he wasn't prepared to fight Jews". A leaked document indicates, that Steven Herbits, the WJC’s secretary general, worked behind the scenes to "pave the way for Matthew Bronfman’s ascension. Now members of the steering committee say that the younger Bronfman is not being considered as a potential candidate." Another reason for Singers dismissal was that "he did not devote himself sufficiently to the election of Bronfman's son Matthew as the next president of the WJC." The dismissal of Singer became the issue of heated discussions within the Jewish community; several letters to the editors of the Jewish Press discuss the dismissal and the "old boy network": "The Israel Singer debacle made me think about the process by which people become leaders in the Jewish community. Edgar Bronfman’s big bucks enable him to take over the World Jewish Congress, and Israel Singer becomes a leader in that organization because his then-friend Edgar Bronfman makes him one."
The lawsuits, corruption and internal power struggles affected the work, influence and unity of the entire organization. After the firing of Singer, marking "an all-time low in the history of the organization", the World Jewish Congress even stopped funding its Israeli Branch, which resumed after the resignation of Bronfmann "with a resumption of funding for the Jerusalem office and 'restoration of normal relationships' among its affiliates."
had lied about his service as an officer in the mounted corps of the SA, and his time as an ordnance officer in Saloniki, Greece, from 1942 to 1943. Waldheim called the allegations "pure lies and malicious acts". Nevertheless he admitted that he had known about German reprisals against partisans: "Yes, I knew. I was horrified. But what could I do? I had either to continue to serve or be executed." He said that he had never fired a shot or even seen a partisan. His former immediate superior at the time stated that Waldheim had "remained confined to a desk". Former Austrian Jewish chancellor Bruno Kreisky
called the World Jewish Congress's actions an "extraordinary infamy" adding that in election, Austrians "won't allow the Jews abroad to order us about and tell us who should be our President."
In view of the ongoing international controversy, the Austrian government decided to appoint an international committee of historians to examine Waldheim's life between 1938 and 1945. Their report found no evidence of any personal involvement of Waldheim in those crimes. At the same time, although he had stated that he was unaware of any crimes taking place, the historians cited evidence that Waldheim must have known about war crimes.
and the Polish people are not going to be the heirs of the Polish Jews. We are never going to allow this. (...) They're gonna hear from us until Poland freezes over again. If Poland does not satisfy Jewish claims it will be "publicly attacked and humiliated" in the international forum - Reuters
reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was perceived as a threat against Poland.
remarks and ethnic slurs in an internal memo against the president of the European Jewish Congress
Pierre Besnainou: "He is French. Don’t discount this. He cannot be trusted, ... He is Tunisian. Do not discount this either. He works like an Arab." The World Jewish Congress in Israel has condemned the statements as both hateful and racist. "It appears that the struggle in the World Jewish Congress has now turned racist, said MK Shai Hermesh
(Kadima), who heads the Israeli board of the WJC. Instead of creating unity among the Jewish people, this organization is just creating division and hatred."
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. According to its mission statement, the World Jewish Congress' main purpose is to act as "the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people." Membership in the WJC is open to all representative Jewish groups or communities, irrespective of the social, political or economic ideology of the community's host country. The World Jewish Congress has special credentials and recognition at the United Nations and within many of its institutions, commissions and sub-bodies. Its headquarters are in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA, and the organization maintains international offices in Brussels, Belgium; Jerusalem, Israel; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Geneva, Switzerland.
Organization and related bodies
The WJC is made up of five regional branches: WJC North America, the Latin American Jewish Congress, the European Jewish Congress, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, and the WJC Israel. Besides that, Jewish communities in 92 countries are directly affiliated to the World Jewish Congress. Its highest decision-making body is the Plenary Assembly, which meets every four years and elects the Executive of the WJC. The last meeting of the Plenary Assembly, attended by over 400 delegates from 62 countries, was held in Jerusalem in January 2009. It also adopted new statutes, which replace the 1975 Constitution.The WJC also maintains a research institute based in Jerusalem, Israel. The Institute is involved in research and analysis of a variety of issues of importance to contemporary Jewry, and its findings are published in the form of monthly Policy Dispatches. Under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, the Israel Council on Foreign Relations has since its inception in 1989 hosted heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other distinguished visitors to Israel and has issued several publications on Israeli foreign policy and international affairs.
In 1951, Nahum Goldmann
Nahum Goldmann
Nahum Goldmann was a leading Zionist and the founder and longtime president of the World Jewish Congress.-Biography:...
, then president of the WJC, cofounded the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany - the Claims Conference
Claims Conference
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, or Claims Conference, represents world Jewry in negotiating for compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs...
, as a body to engage the German government in negotiations for material compensation for Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. The World Jewish Congress designates two members to the Board of Directors of the Conference.
In 1992 the WJC established the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) as an organization for the restitution of Jewish property in the rest of Europe (outside Germany). It has been active in the claims against Swiss banks.
In 2000 the World Jewish Congress shaped the policy debate about looted art
Looted art
Looted art has been a consequence of looting during war, natural disaster and riot for centuries. Looting of art, archaeology and other cultural property may be an opportunistic criminal act, or may be a more organized case of unlawful or unethical pillage by the victor of a conflict."Looted art"...
by criticizing museums "for waiting for artworks to be claimed by Holocaust victims instead of publicly announcing that they have suspect items."
The WJC is involved in inter-faith dialogue
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
with Christian and Muslim groups. http://www.wjc.org.il/publications/dialogues.html. One of its major new programs is concerned with the plight of Jewish refugees
Jewish refugees
In the course of history, Jewish populations have been expelled or ostracised by various local authorities and have sought asylum from antisemitism numerous times...
from Arab lands.
Presidents of World Jewish Congress
- Stephen S. Wise : (1936 - 19 Apr 1949)
- Nahum GoldmannNahum GoldmannNahum Goldmann was a leading Zionist and the founder and longtime president of the World Jewish Congress.-Biography:...
: (1949–1977), (acting to 1955) - Philip M. Klutznick : (1977–1979)
- Edgar M. Bronfman : (1979 - June 2007) , (acting to 1981)
- Ronald S. Lauder : (June 10, 2007 – present)
WJC Executive Committee
At the 13th Plenary Assembly in Jerusalem in January 2009, Ronald S. Lauder was confirmed as WJC president. Eduardo Elsztain of Argentina was elected chairman of the WJC Governing Board, succeeding the American Matthew Bronfman. Jacob Benatoff of Italy was elected WJC treasurer, replacing Elsztain. The 400 delegates of the Plenary Assembly also elected the following as vice-presidents of the World Jewish Congress: Yaakov BleichYaakov Bleich
Yaakov Dov Bleich is an American-born rabbi and member of the Karlin-Stoliner Chassidic group. He has been widely recognized as Chief Rabbi of Kiev and all of Ukraine since 1990....
(Ukraine), Helena Glaser (Israel), Robert Goot (Australia), Flo Kaufmann (Great Britain), Charlotte Knobloch
Charlotte Knobloch
Charlotte Knobloch was elected President of Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland in June, 2006. She is also Vice President of the European Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress...
(Germany), Tomas Kraus (Czech Republic), Tamar Shchory (Israel), Marc Schneier
Marc Schneier
Marc Schneier is an American rabbi, and founder and president of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, and the founding rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York and the New York Synagogue in Manhattan....
(USA), and Mervyn Smith (South Africa). Other WJC vice-presidents appointed by the regional affiliates are: Roger Cukierman, France (for the European Jewish Congress), Moshe Ronen, Canada (for the North American Jewish Congress), Eduard Shifrin, Russia (for the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), and Sara Winkowski, Uruguay (for the Latin American Jewish Congress). Ex-officio members of the WJC Executive are the heads of the five regional affiliates, currently Alexander Machkevitch of Kazakhstan (Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), Moshe Kantor of Russia (European Jewish Congress), Evelyn Sommer of the United States (WJC North America), Jack Terpins of Brazil (Latin American Jewish Congress), and Shai Hermesh
Shai Hermesh
Shai Hermesh is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima.-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv in 1944, Hermesh spent his military service in the Nahal and the paratroop brigade. With the conclusion of his military service in 1965, he became a member of kibbutz Kfar...
of Israel (WJC Israel).
A smaller Steering Committee is running the day-to-day activities of the World Jewish Congress. It is composed of the president, the chairman of the WJC Governing Board, the treasurer and the chairmen of the five WJC regional affiliates. Other members may be appointed by the Executive Committee.
In June 2011, the New York-born Israeli foreign policy analyst B. Daniel Diker was appointed as new secretary-general of the World Jewish Congress.
World Jewish Congress Foundation
For its fundraising in the United States, the World Jewish Congress set up a foundation, the World Jewish Congress Foundation, in 2005. The WJCF is fully accredited by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a charitable tax-exempt organization with an American board. It engages primarily in fundraising efforts to secure operating funds and grant money for the World Jewish Congress, which it disperses at its discretion. The organization solicits donations through direct mail campaigns, major donor fundraising initiatives, estate contributions campaigns, and other activities.Funds raised by the Foundation are distributed to the World Jewish Congress via a formal grant process. Under this process, the World Jewish Congress and its related entities submit grant requests directly to the Foundation, which reviews them and then determines who will receive grants, for what purposes, for what amount, and under what conditions. The Foundation also receives and reviews reports on grant award usage and will take the necessary steps to ensure full compliance with the Internal Revenue Service and State regulations, as well as with Federal anti-terrorism regulations.
The WJC Foundation is governed by a board of directors. The number of board members that occupy positions with other World Jewish Congress entities is limited to no more than 20 percent. Ronald S. Lauder was elected honorary chairman of the Board of the Foundation. Herbert Juli is the executive director of the Foundation, which has its offices in Miami, Florida.
Policies and activities of the World Jewish Congress
One of the principal activities of the World Jewish Congress has been to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms. Its stated policy on this issue is: “Governments and international organisations need to provide adequate resources for the fight against hatred, notably by providing security to Jewish communities and by improving education. Laws against anti-Semitism and other forms of racism need to be adopted and enforced properly in every country. All forms and expressions of neo-Nazism, xenophobia and intolerance are unacceptable and have to be condemned, and the full force of the law needs to be applied to those who are a danger to democracy liberty and Jewish communities. Marches by extremist, anti-Semitic groups should be banned where national laws provide for such a possibility. Governments and political leaders should condemn such events and work together with local Jewish communities.”On the Middle East peace process, the WJC favors a two-state solution , stating on its website that “a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians based on a two-state solution is the only legitimate and just way to provide for a lasting peace. The nascent Palestinian state should respect the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. A Palestinian state can only be founded if it respects Israel’s right to exist in security. Initiatives that help to enable the Palestinians to advance economically and socially should also be supported as a means of stabilising the peace process.”
The WJC also lobbies international organizations, notably the UN, to ensure that governments “apply the same standards to Israel when judging its actions compared with those of other countries.” The WJC states on its website that “Israel should not be singled out for criticism by countries which do not themselves adhere to the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law” and that “Israel needs to be treated fairly in international organisations, especially in United Nations bodies such as the Human Rights Council.”
The WJC has been very active in inter-religious dialogue and good relations with the Catholic Church. The organization played a leading role in the dialogue with the Vatican over many decades. Progress, however, is slow with regard to the Orthodox and Protestant Churches. In February 2009, WJC President Lauder was critical of the Vatican’s decision to revoke the excommunication of Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson, who had denied the existence of gas chambers in Nazi concentration camps.
The World Jewish Congress also considers dialogue with representatives of moderate Islam as “one of the most important and challenging issues at this time. The increasing gap of understanding between so-called Western liberal democracies and the Islamic word is extremely dangerous,” according to the WJC website. In 2008, WJC leaders met with Saudi King Abdullah at an inter-faith conference in the Spanish capital Madrid. Later that year, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder met with the Saudi monarch in New York. The WJC believes that the three Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) can cooperate “to respond to the challenges posed by developments in modern society, especially to discuss and promote shared values.”
In August 2008, World Jewish Congress and Venezuelan Jewish community leaders met in Caracas with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frias. The meeting stirred some controversy in the Jewish world because of Chávez’ public support for Iranian President Ahmadinejad and his strong criticism of Israel. However, WJC Secretary-General Michael Schneider defended the meeting with Chávez and said the WJC acted only on behalf of, and with the backing of, the Venezuelan Jewish community.
On the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab lands after the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, the World Jewish Congress states that “The plight of Jews who fled from, or still live in, Arab lands and their specific concerns are not well-known and need to be raised with governments and international organisations. Where illegal seizure of assets took place, these should be returned to their former owners, or adequate compensation should be paid. Jews remaining in Arab lands, as well as other religious minorities, should be granted religious freedom and allowed to practice their faith according to their traditions. Jewish communal sites in Arab countries must be preserved and respected.”
Moshe Ronen
Moshe Ronen
Moshe Ronen is a Toronto lawyer, and a Jewish community leader.Ronen is vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, was the last national chair of the Canada-Israel Committee and was president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1998 to 2001....
, vice-president of the World Jewish Congress and national chairman of the Canada-Israel Committee
Canada-Israel Committee
The Canada-Israel Committee was the official representative of the organized Canadian Jewish community on matters pertaining to Canada-Israel relations....
stated in May 2009, after the Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
declared Israel's expansion of settlements into Palestinian territory
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
an "illegal move", that it his job to influence the government (of Canada), disputing that the issue of the (Israeli) settlements has damaged the Peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In July 2011, Olympic news outlet Around the Rings reported that World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder issued a statement urging IOC officials to ban Iran from participating in the Olympic Games, citing Iranian athletes' refusal to compete against Israeli athletes. "It is high time that a strong signal is sent to Iran that unless this long-standing boycott is lifted, Iranian athletes will not be allowed to enter major international events such as next year’s Olympic Games in London" Lauder said.
Finances and allegations of irregularities
The organization, founded in 1936 in Switzerland, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the World Jewish Restitution Organization, and the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance ClaimsInternational Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims
The International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims was established by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in August 1998 to identify, settle, and pay individual Holocaust era insurance claims at no cost to claimants....
, founded in 1998, have secured millions of dollars for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in payments from Germany, Swiss banks
World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks
The World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks was launched to retrieve deposits made by victims of Nazi persecution during and prior to World War II.-Negotiations:...
, Insurances and other parties totaling $20 billion. See also: World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks
World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks
The World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks was launched to retrieve deposits made by victims of Nazi persecution during and prior to World War II.-Negotiations:...
.
According to the Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, a series of allegations about the organization's accounting practices and "unusual" money transfers, raised by Isi Liebler, the WJC's senior vice-president, led to a full scale investigation of the finances of the World Jewish Congress.
Although most of WJC's income comes from thousands of small donations, the organization is struggling. The New York Times states that "Donations fell in 2005, and, according to its financial statements, its expenses were $17 million and its revenues were $9.4 million." A professional fund raising company, using direct mail fund-raising, yielded a projected $8.15 million [USD] while charging an annual fee of $3.5 million. A comprehensive audit of the WJC's accounts in Switzerland from 1995–2004, conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
, an accounting firm, found that "over the years $3.8 million 'disappeared' from the bank accounts" and that there were "significant un-reconciled cash withdrawals where there is no documentation of the usage of the funds."
Rabbi Israel Singer
Israel Singer
Israel Singer was secretary general of the World Jewish Congress from 2001 to 2007.- Life :Singer grew up in Brooklyn, the son of Austrian refugees...
was dismissed after a tumultuous period for the organization when its Swiss affiliate discovered that 1.2 million USD were involved in suspicious money transfers between accounts in New York, Switzerland and London to a WJC numbered bank account
Numbered bank account
A numbered bank account is a type of bank account where the name of the account holder is kept secret, and he identifies himself to the bank by means of a code word known only by the account holder and a restricted number of bank employees, thus providing the holder with a degree of bank privacy in...
at a UBS branch in Geneva. The Geneva office was not aware of the account and until "the manager, Maya Ben-Haim Rosen, received a bank statement showing that a UBS account she was unaware of had been overdrawn by $40 when Mr. Singer transferred the money" to Zvi Barak, an Israeli lawyer. The WJC's General Counsel in Geneva, Daniel Lack, called for an independent audit of the WJC's accounts, but his requests were ignored. Although the money was recovered it was not until much later that deeper investigations about the organizations finances were conducted, which found various irregularities as well as lavish travel and other expenses incurred by Mr. Singer.
Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
reported that the name of the organization "was associated with financial irregularities, corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and endless power struggles." New York State attorney general Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
conducted a comprehensive audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
of the WJC over a two-year period and on January 31, 2006 entered into an Agreement of Discontinuance with the WJC, resolving the investigation and summarizing its key findings. According to the agreement, the investigation "presented the organization as one in which corruption had spread in recent years", identified financial mismanagement and breaches of fiduciary duty, but found no criminal wrongdoing and concluded that any misconduct “did not compromise the core mission” of the organization or result in “identifiable losses of charitable assets.” An article in the Haaretz points out that the Spitzer report neglected the audit of the WJC's accounts in Switzerland from 1995–2004 and did not include the most serious charges and accusations.
Despite vigorously defending Rabbi Singer during the Attorney General's inquiry, in March 2007 Bronfman abruptly announced the firing of Rabbi Singer. Bronfman accused Singer of stealing his money in an article published by Haaretz: "'Singer helped himself to cash from the WJC office, my cash,' wrote Bronfman to European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
President Pierre Besnainou in a letter. 'The final blow came when we discovered that he was playing games with his hotel bills in Jerusalem.' ... [Singer] boasted of his ability to put one over on presidents and prime ministers, and with the same degree of pride enumerated heads of state as his personal friends. In retrospect, it has emerged that during the same period, Singer himself behaved as though he himself were a head of state, living ostentatiously at the expense of the donors to the WJC." The Jewish Daily Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
provided more details between the "back-and-forth accusations" and denials "about which side leaked the material to the media". According to the article, WJC Secretary General Stephen Herbits
Stephen Herbits
Stephen E. Herbits is an American businessman, former consultant to several Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Defense, personal friend and advisor to the Bronfman family, former Executive Vice President of the Seagram Company, former advisor to the President’s Advisory Commission on Holocaust...
accused Singer himself of leaking this memo to the media. Subsequent press reports indicated that the memo was leaked from another organization unaffiliated with Rabbi Singer, suggesting that Mr. Herbits' allegations were incorrect.
However, internal WJC documents point to a different explanation for Rabbi Singer's firing. E-mails from Mr. Herbits' deputy, Pinchas Shapiro, to Rabbi Singer only days before his firing, suggested that friction had developed between Rabbi Singer and Edgar Bronfman over Rabbi Singer's position on various internal WJC political matters, including the perception that he was insufficiently advocating the candidacy of Edgar Bronfman's son Matthew to the presidency of the WJC. Indeed, Matthew Bronfman had for months been favored by his father and Mr. Herbits to become the next WJC president. A memo from Mr. Herbits to Matthew in late 2006 outlined a number of strategies for succeeding to his father's position. Among other things, the memo stressed the importance of ensuring the support of Rabbi Singer.
The New York Times wrote in May 2007, that "Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., the billionaire liquor magnate who is its largest patron, had resigned as its president" because of the turmoil. The Jewish Daily Forward points out, that the resignation ended "one of the most prolific and controversial tenures in American Jewish communal Leadership... The move follows three years of internecine fighting at the WJC, which included an investigation by the New York attorney general and more recent divisions between Bronfman and the organization’s affiliates across the world.".
Another investigation against the World Jewish Congress is still ongoing, this time by the federal Internal Revenue Service.
Controversy and internal conflicts
The presidency of the World Jewish Congress is one of the most important and prestigious positions in the world of Jewish organizations. The "presidency of the Congress provided Bronfman with prestige and in return it received strong financial backing and generous funding from him. Nevertheless, documents that have reached Haaretz indicate that in practice, for the great honor that came his way, Bronfman paid far smaller sums than what many had thought until now."Bronfman's status within the organization allowed him to promote Rabbi Israel Singer's position in other organizations, such as president of the Jewish Claims Conference and chairman of the board of the World Jewish Restitution Organization. Other senior officials who left the World Jewish Congress received retirement grants of $1 million each. The accountant of the Geneva office of the World Jewish Congress had been paying himself around $1,900 more than his approved salary. Not only senior officials but also associates of the World Jewish Congress received large compensations. Curtis Hoxter, the owner of a public relations firm that provided services to the WJC, was paid around $200,000 a year during 2001–2003. The Spitzer report points out that "the WJC did not report these payments to the U.S. tax authorities. Hoxter told Haaretz that he did no work for the Congress in those years, and claimed he did not receive any payment. The documents indicate otherwise."
Rabbi Israel Singer, in the position as the president of the Claims Conference, "an umbrella organization that has paid millions of dollars to the March of the Living, a Holocaust education group that brings students to Poland and Israel ... began payments to Hoxter totaling $709,000 in 2003. That was the same year Singer 'was instructed to stop funneling unauthorized payments to him via the World Jewish Congress ‹ payments that had by then totaled $657,600,'" Singer denied the accusations and Hoxter states that he can not state the specifics of his position. In an Article of the Jewish Week Israel Singer is cited with the following statement: "I'm not involved in allocating Claims Conference funds and certainly have no say or interest in any consultants that grant recipients might choose to hire. ..."
"I have no idea. I have no recollection. It was just something I assisted on. I prefer not to go into any details. It was not a major activity. I’d have to check my records.”
Several internal disputes of the World Jewish Congress followed within the last decade. The firing of Rabbi Israel Singer has been associated with the internal power struggles on Bronfman's behalf - according the a March 25, 2007 article published by Haaretz "Singer told Bronfman that he wasn't prepared to fight Jews". A leaked document indicates, that Steven Herbits, the WJC’s secretary general, worked behind the scenes to "pave the way for Matthew Bronfman’s ascension. Now members of the steering committee say that the younger Bronfman is not being considered as a potential candidate." Another reason for Singers dismissal was that "he did not devote himself sufficiently to the election of Bronfman's son Matthew as the next president of the WJC." The dismissal of Singer became the issue of heated discussions within the Jewish community; several letters to the editors of the Jewish Press discuss the dismissal and the "old boy network": "The Israel Singer debacle made me think about the process by which people become leaders in the Jewish community. Edgar Bronfman’s big bucks enable him to take over the World Jewish Congress, and Israel Singer becomes a leader in that organization because his then-friend Edgar Bronfman makes him one."
The lawsuits, corruption and internal power struggles affected the work, influence and unity of the entire organization. After the firing of Singer, marking "an all-time low in the history of the organization", the World Jewish Congress even stopped funding its Israeli Branch, which resumed after the resignation of Bronfmann "with a resumption of funding for the Jerusalem office and 'restoration of normal relationships' among its affiliates."
Waldheim Affair
In 1986 was proposed by the World Jewish Congress that Austrian President Kurt WaldheimKurt Waldheim
Kurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and politician. Waldheim was the fourth Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and the ninth President of Austria, from 1986 to 1992...
had lied about his service as an officer in the mounted corps of the SA, and his time as an ordnance officer in Saloniki, Greece, from 1942 to 1943. Waldheim called the allegations "pure lies and malicious acts". Nevertheless he admitted that he had known about German reprisals against partisans: "Yes, I knew. I was horrified. But what could I do? I had either to continue to serve or be executed." He said that he had never fired a shot or even seen a partisan. His former immediate superior at the time stated that Waldheim had "remained confined to a desk". Former Austrian Jewish chancellor Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky was an Austrian politician who served as Foreign Minister from 1959 to 1966 and as Chancellor from 1970 to 1983. Aged 72 at the end of his chancellorship, he was the oldest acting Chancellor after World War II....
called the World Jewish Congress's actions an "extraordinary infamy" adding that in election, Austrians "won't allow the Jews abroad to order us about and tell us who should be our President."
In view of the ongoing international controversy, the Austrian government decided to appoint an international committee of historians to examine Waldheim's life between 1938 and 1945. Their report found no evidence of any personal involvement of Waldheim in those crimes. At the same time, although he had stated that he was unaware of any crimes taking place, the historians cited evidence that Waldheim must have known about war crimes.
Threats against Poland
In 1996 at World Jewish Congress meeting one of its leaders, Israel Singer, stated that "More than three million Jews died in PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the Polish people are not going to be the heirs of the Polish Jews. We are never going to allow this. (...) They're gonna hear from us until Poland freezes over again. If Poland does not satisfy Jewish claims it will be "publicly attacked and humiliated" in the international forum - Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was perceived as a threat against Poland.
Racist Remarks by WJC Officials
Stephen E. Herbits, the Secretary-General of the New York-based World Jewish Congress made several racistRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
remarks and ethnic slurs in an internal memo against the president of the European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
Pierre Besnainou: "He is French. Don’t discount this. He cannot be trusted, ... He is Tunisian. Do not discount this either. He works like an Arab." The World Jewish Congress in Israel has condemned the statements as both hateful and racist. "It appears that the struggle in the World Jewish Congress has now turned racist, said MK Shai Hermesh
Shai Hermesh
Shai Hermesh is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima.-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv in 1944, Hermesh spent his military service in the Nahal and the paratroop brigade. With the conclusion of his military service in 1965, he became a member of kibbutz Kfar...
(Kadima), who heads the Israeli board of the WJC. Instead of creating unity among the Jewish people, this organization is just creating division and hatred."
See also
- Ignacy SchwarzbartIgnacy SchwarzbartIgnacy Schwarzbart was a prominent Polish Zionist, and one of two Jewish representatives on the Polish National Council of the Polish Government-in-Exile during the Second World War, along with Szmul Zygielbojm....
- Reparations Agreement between Israel and West GermanyReparations Agreement between Israel and West GermanyThe Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany was signed on September 10, 1952, and entered in force on March 27, 1953...
- Claims ConferenceClaims ConferenceThe Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, or Claims Conference, represents world Jewry in negotiating for compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs...
- International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance ClaimsInternational Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance ClaimsThe International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims was established by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in August 1998 to identify, settle, and pay individual Holocaust era insurance claims at no cost to claimants....
- World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss BanksWorld Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banksThe World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks was launched to retrieve deposits made by victims of Nazi persecution during and prior to World War II.-Negotiations:...
- Alexander Mashkevitch [President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC)Alexander MashkevitchAlexander Mashkevich , born in 1954, is a businessman with major holdings and close political relationships in Kazakhstan. He holds both Kazakh and Israeli citizenship; according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, he usually travels on his Israeli passport and "rarely spends more than a week each...
]
External links
- The World Jewish Congress
- Jewish Communities of the World
- Craig Horowitz, "Machers in Meltdown" New YorkNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
(February 21, 2005) - Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) website
- European Jewish Congress website
- Israel Jewish Congress
- Latin American Jewish Congress website
- North American Jewish Congress