Shlomo Hillel, a Labor member of the Knesset and its former speaker, has been appointed world chairman of Keren Hayesod, the international fund-raising agency for Israel.
Hillel, 65, is expected to resign his Knesset seat to devote full time to his new duties.
He was defeated last Tuesday by fellow Laborite Avraham Shohat for chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee.
He lost a bid earlier to retain the office of speaker to Likud’s Dov Shilansky, on a secret ballot of Knesset members.
Keren Hayesod conducts worldwide campaigns for Israel in all Diaspora countries except the United States, where the United Jewish Appeal runs campaigns for domestic Jewish, Israeli and other overseas needs.
The office of Keren Hayesod chairman has been vacant for a year.
Hillel’s predecessor, Avraham Avihai of the General Zionists, resigned after the last World Zionist Congress. WZO Executive Chairman Simcha Dinitz filled the post in the interim.
Considered a hawk, Hillel was reported to belong to a group of Labor Party insurgents hoping to unseat party leader Shimon Peres.
Another appointment announced by the WZO Executive was former Gen. David Hagoel, a General Zionist, who was named to head the Youth Aliya Department.
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