Plans to reinvigorate the Keren Hayesod, umbrella body of all Israeli fund-raising appeals outside the United States, were outlined here by Dr. Avraham Avi-Hai, its new chairman-designate.
A leading Israeli political scientist, and former senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office, Avi-Hai says he would like to replace the Keren Hayesod’s present directorate, consisting of Israelis, by a world board of trustees, representing the communities in which the Keren Hayesod operates. The board will lay down policy and,
Avi-Hai would also like to concentrate on what he calls “leadership development” so that the Keren Hayesod will become more dynamic and aggressive than in the past. From fund-raising operations in 70 countries outside the United States, the Keren Hayesod is expected to raise $110 million in the year ending in June, he said.
5-YEAR $1.2 BILLION CAMPAIGN
The Keren Hayesod, in addition, will take part in the five-year campaign to raise $1.2 billion for the
Half this total is to be paid by the Israeli taxpayer and the other half by world Jewry. Of the $600 million to be raised in the diaspora, it is hoped that America’s United Jewish Appeal will raise $400 million, and the Keren Hayesod the remainder. Avi-Hai stressed that this five-year project is separate from the normal ongoing appeals of
Avi-Hai, who immigrated to Israel from Canada in 1952, has been nominated to the fulltime chairmanship of the Keren Hayesod in succession to the late Ezra Shapiro. His present academic post, which he will eventually relinquish, is as dean of the school for overseas students of the Hebrew University. He is also a member of the
Avi-Hai said that he dissociated himself from the current vogue of denigrating David Ben Gurion’s policies common among certain Israeli academics. Without Ben Gurion, Israel would not have gained its independence, would not have had mass immigration and would not have developed an effective defense force, Avi-Hai said. The ultimate vindication of Ben Gurion’s emphasis on a strong Israel was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Israel in
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