Sharansky approved as Jewish Agency head

By ICEJ News

26 Jun 2009

Former Israeli cabinet minister Natan Sharansky, the famed Soviet refusnik and prominent author, was unanimously approved on Thursday (June 25) as the new chairman of the Jewish Agency, after weeks of uncertainty over his nomination. The nominee of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his acceptance was in doubt due to a dispute between Israeli officials and Jewish Diaspora leaders over how the Agency is run. But on Tuesday (June 23), the Jewish Agency assembly passed a package of reforms on governance put forward by major American funders, who wanted a greater say in the Agency’s operations, at the expense of the Israeli government. Once the reforms had been adopted, the way was paved for Sharansky’s approval.

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