Undeterred by threats of terrorism, some 267 leaders of American Jewry, representing 46 Jewish Federations and various Zionist organizations throughout the U.S., attended the recently-held Jewish Agency Assembly in Jerusalem as members of the United Israel Appeal delegation.
As active participants in the Assembly’s deliberations, UIA delegates were responsible for the passage of more resolutions than have ever before been passed in Jewish Agency Assembly history, according to Henry Taub, UIA’s chairman.
Taub said that, as opposed to the II resolutions brought to the floor during last year’s Jewish Agency Assembly, 36 were received by the Assembly Resolutions Committee this year, and 21 were passed. He said that the “future of UIA’s involvement in the Jewish Agency could be measured by the vigorous resolutions activity of UIA delegates” and he praised the “interest and staying power” of members of the UIA delegation.
Taub said the resolution which received “the most attention” was the one which called for a cessation of assistance, directly or indirectly, to anti-Zionist, anti-Israel organizations. It was passed.
SOME KEY RESOLUTIONS
Taub stated that some of the other key resolutions of the 1986 Jewish Agency Assembly passed were:
A resolution accepting the $414 million Jewish Agency budget for the current fiscal year. In addition, the Assembly approved $48 million for Project Renewal, dependent on cash flow in that amount.
A resolution encouraging the Jewish Agency Settlement Department to move swiftly to save Israeli agricultural units in serious difficulty and to make the necessary expenditures to assure their economic independence.
A resolution mandating that the term “non-Zionist” no longer be used in reference to any member of the Jewish Agency Assembly.
A resolution that the Agency “develop equitable guidelines for appropriate, maximum involvement with all branches (of Judaism).” UIA delegates were insistent that Agency departments carry out their mandates to assist individuals in need of support and not organizations, per se.
A resolution which insisted that programs and schools receiving Jewish Agency aid admit all olim, including Ethiopians.
A resolution urging the Project Renewal Department to complete its work on behalf of currently twinned neighborhoods and to assure fulfillment of responsibilities to those neighborhoods already within the program.
A resolution calling for the extension of appropriate absorption services to the Ethiopian Jews rescued by “Operation Moses.”
A resolution responding to Prime Minister Shimon Peres’ call for solving the problems of the Negev.
Several resolutions calling for “excellence” in Jewish Agency services.
A resolution urging that “all members (of the Assembly) should contribute to their community campaigns and be encouraged to become members of the Zionist organizations of their choice.”
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