The Jewish Agency announced yesterday that it has rejected 11 of 22 aliya emissaries scheduled to leave within the next few weeks on assignments overseas. The rejectees were informed only yesterday that they did not meet the required standards although all of them had reached the final stages of the two-month training and orientation course and had been selected out of 800 applicants after passing various tests.
They reacted angrily at being notified at this late stage. Some said they had already quit their jobs and rented their flats in anticipation of going abroad. A few threatened to sue the Jewish Agency for compensation. Raphael Kotlowitz, chairman of the immigration and absorption department who gave the men the bad news yesterday, said they could appeal to the Jewish Agency Executive Committee. He promised that the committee would give prompt consideration to their cases.
But, he said, the rejections had been approved unanimously by a four-member screening panel. Jewish Agency sources said the final selection of candidates was begun in April by Shmuel Lahis, director general of the Agency and chairman of the emissary committee. However, the sources explained, final evaluation had to await the results of the courses which were not received until now.
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