World Jewish Congress: Wiesel, Aznar, Join Diaspora Jewish Leaders in
Jerusalem to Counter Intensifying Assault on Israel
Ronald S. Lauder: "Defending Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people
is top priority"
NEW YORK / JERUSALEM - Heads of Jewish communities from around the world
will gather in Jerusalem for a meeting of the World Jewish Congress (WJC)
Governing Board on 31 August and 1 September 2010. The gathering will focus
on ways to fight the growing threats against Israel. It will be addressed by
senior statesmen from Israel and abroad.
Writer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Elie Wiesel will be
presented with the first WJC 'Guardian of Jerusalem' award in recognition of
his lifetime accomplishments on behalf of the Jewish people. Members of the
Israeli Haiti emergency rescue operation will receive a special award for
their heroic humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti
earthquake. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister
Yuli Edelstein, and opposition leader and Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer
and Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau also confirmed their participation.
Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar will give a keynote address
to delegates about the recently launched Friends of Israel Initiative
(www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org).
Ahead of the Governing Board, World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder
said: "Everywhere, we are witnessing concerted efforts to attack the
legitimacy of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. Boycott,
sanctions and divestment campaigns are becoming prevalent; Israeli
academics, authors, artists and sportspeople are being banned from
participating in events; the media often presents a one-sided view of
developments, and Israel is almost always being singled out for blame. We
will be developing proactive initiatives to address these issues, and we
will underline the need for Diaspora Jewry's continued unwavering solidarity
with Israel in a global environment that is increasingly hostile to those
positions."
The WJC meeting will be attended by around 150 leaders representing all
major Jewish communities in the world and will adopt the future priorities
and action plans of the organization. It will also discuss the difficult
situation faced by certain Jewish communities, e.g. in Sweden and Venezuela.
Proceedings at the Governing Board will be open to the media, and interviews
with WJC representatives can be arranged; please contact one of the contact
persons below. Details regarding press accreditation, the precise agenda and
the location will be released closer to the event.
The World Jewish Congress (www.worldjewishcongress.org) is the international
organization representing Jewish communities in 92 countries around the
world. The WJC serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to
governments, parliaments and international organizations.
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