'Israel may quit World Jewish Congress'

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is on the verge of being dissolved, following the sacking of its former Policy Council chairman, Israel Singer, a member of the organization's Israel branch Executive told Ynetnews on Friday.

The source said that unless the WJC's President, Edgar Bronfman, changes his practices and the way he treats the organization's various branches around the world, the Israeli chapter "will leave." The comments were, however, dismissed by a World Jewish Congress spokesperson as a smokescreen for financial irregularities at the Israel branch of the WJC.

The source described the conference call in which Bronfman sacked Singer as "shocking."

"When the phone calls started everyone who was supposed to be there said their names, and then Edgar Bronfman fired Israel Singer. After thirty years of standing by his side, and considerable accomplishments. I've never heard of that in the Jewish world. To publicly fired someone? Instead of privately talking to them? It's just not done, and it shouldn't't' be done," the source said.

"Bronfman said he had evidence that Singer has not been good, that he was not fighting against the Israeli chapter enough, and that he was not doing enough for Bronfman's son, Mathew," he added.

The source added that the microphones of all of the opponents to Bronfman were silenced during the conversation. "This was an illegal meeting," he said. "It becomes a pretty odd coincidence that in 3 continents, those who are opposed to Bronfman couldn't speak."

The latest crisis to face the organization only scratched the surface of the problems faced by the World Jewish Congress, the source added.

"Edgar Bronfman is basically senile. He has one good day and two bad days. He is no longer capable of running organization. He announced: I'm president and I'll step down whenever I feel like it," the source said. "That means, he'll step down only when his son, Mathew, is ready to take power. Mathew does not have experience," the source said, adding: "What are we, Mubarak? Assad? The guy's president for 27 years, then he puts his son in. It doesn't look good."

'Member offered money to leave' 

According to the source, the WJC's leadership began "a war" against the Israeli chapter following a failed attempt by a leadership representative to take control of Israeli operations. The source said the representative attempted to offer money to one of the Israeli executive's members in exchange for leaving the organization.

After the member refused the offer, the Israeli chapter faced threats of funds being cut off, and allegations that financial matters were not being properly run, the source added. The attack on the Israel branch culminated in the release of a book by the WJC's leadership, detailing, in 250 pages, the "crimes of Israeli chapter. If we did 250 pages worth of crimes, Ynet would have heard about us a long time ago," the source said.

'Worst form of personal politics' 

Responding to the allegations, Pinchas Shapiro, of the World Jewish Congress in the US, said that the comments were " based upon the worst kind of personal politics I have ever witnessed. Mr. Bronfman is far from senile. I personally have met with him several times this week, he is lucid and physically fit."

"Rumors about his so-called failing health are false and are simply disgusting. They are part of a political campaign to divert attention from the fact that the Israeli Branch and its former director were in severe violation of their fiduciary responsibilities," Shapiro added. He described the source's statements as "scurrilous and false allegations," adding that they were "offensive and are the last attempts of those people have done things wrong to divert attention from themselves and throw it on someone else. Ultimately, they are responsible for what has happened."

"The WJC uncovered significant financial irregularities at the WJC Israel Branch and Institute. There was an extensive 20-month cover-up of the wrongdoing by those involved and now it has been ended," Shapiro said, adding: "WJC grants to the Branch have been suspended and the misappropriated money has been ordered to be returned. Mr. Bronfman insisted that the WJC stand for integrity and the Steering Committee supported his call."

Shapiro also dismissed objections to Singer's sacking, saying: " Mr. Singer was an employee of the WJC, he can be fired or resign, just as I can be fired or resign."