A joint government-Jewish Agency coordinating body will convene under the chairmanship of Premier Menachem Begin next month to reapportion responsibility for immigration and absorption. The meeting will take place nearly two years after the publication of the Horev Commission report revealed innumerable problems regarding the immigration framework in Israel.
Leon Dulzin, chairman of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization Executives, said following an Agency Executive meeting that “I have asked the Premier in the most friendly manner not to force us to turn this issue (immigration and absorption) into a public battle.” He added that the deadline for a decision on the reapportionment is next month’s Executive’s meeting due to be held Sept. 18-20.
Dulzin had met with Begin last week to discuss the subject of immigration and absorption. He reportedly cautioned the Premier that the situation was being aggravated by the government’s delays in deciding a framework for immigration and absorption.
Dulzin, meanwhile, has proposed that the Jewish Agency be given exclusive authority to deal with immigrants on a day-to-day basis. He is due to meet with Absorption Minister David Levy and Jewish Agency aliya chairman Raphael Kotlowitz to further discuss the immigration and absorption situation and how to deal with this in the future in preparation for the establishment of the coordinating body.
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