Absorption minister: Jewish Agency has lost it

The Jewish Agency for Israel cares more about PR than it does about new olim, Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver said Wednesday, in a harsh speech before the agency's Board of Governors.

"The Jewish Agency stopped playing by the rules and has recently carried out several one-sided moves that were driven solely by popularity considerations," Landver stated, referring to reports that the agency has narrowed down its activity in the former Soviet Union and started concentrating its efforts on aliya from Europe instead.

The minister also accused the government-supported organization of acting with complete disregard for previously-signed agreements with the State. "Lately it seems that the Jewish Agency has lost it. It no longer recognizes its agreement with the State of Israel… and aggressively tramples understandings and work procedures that have been agreed upon decades ago," she said.

In Landver's opinion there was still huge potential for aliya from the former Soviet republics. She accused the Jewish Agency of giving empty promises to immigrants from these countries, and for failing to prepare them for the aliyah process prior to their arrival in Israel. From the dozens of emissaries the agency used to have there, only a few remain, said Landver. "The Jewish Agency has lost its way," she cocnluded.

Jewish Agency Treasurer Hagai Meirom responded to the strong criticism by saying: "The global financial crisis and the drop in the scope of donations have forced the Jewish Agency to enter into a comprehensive process of increasing the organization's efficiency and cutting down expenditures."

Meirom said he intends to initiative additional discussions regarding the agency's future operations in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and lauded the minister's call for expanding the organization's funding sources.