Simcha Dinitz has been arraigned on charges of misappropriating some $32,000 from the Jewish Agency.
Dinitz, who temporarily stepped down as chairman of the agency in February, appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The court then granted his request that the proceedings be postponed until July.
Dinitz was charged with aggravated fraud and abuse of public trust for the alleged misuse of credit cards issued by the Jewish Agency.
Dinitz has admitted making personal purchases on the cards.
He also admitted not repaying $13,793 worth of charges until the bills were brought to his attention in December 1992.
The Jewish Agency, which is the primary recipient of United Jewish Appeal funds raised for Israel, is the largest single recipient of American Jewish philanthropy. In Israel, its is considered a quasi-governmental body.
Its salaries are pegged to those of Cabinet officials and its actions are coordinated with the state.
Its leaders come from the ranks of the Israeli political parties in proportion to their strength in the World Zionist Congress.
Dinitz’s leave of absence was in accordance with an agreement made last summer with Mendel Kaplan, chairman of the agency’s Board of Governors.
Yehiel Leket, the 52-year-old head of the agency’s Youth Aliyah department, is serving as acting chairman.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
