WZO Comptroller Critical of Various Aspects of WZO Departments Divisions

A report by the Comptroller of the World Zionist Organization sharply critical of money-management, competence and other aspects of the WZO’s various departments and divisions, was released here today by Leon Dulzin, acting chairman of the WZO Executive.

The 182-page report by Comptroller Meir Ben-Zion Meiri, covering the 1973-74 period, was not to have been made public until the Zionist General Council plenary meeting here 10 days from now. But Dulzin ordered copies of the report sent to the media following a “leak” to Israel Radio earlier this week.

The heads of many of the departments cited in the report claimed that the faults listed by Meiri have been corrected or were in the process of being rectified. The Comptroller was hardest on the organization and information department headed by Avraham Shenker.

His report noted that although the department had a budget of IL 13 million, 21 of the 29 Zionist Federations abroad which received funds and guidance from the department had failed to issue financial reports. As a result, the department had no information “on the nature of the actual expenditure of sums for maintaining offices abroad,” the report said.

OTHER SHORTCOMINGS CITED

The Comptroller also said that emissaries sent abroad by the youth and hechalutz department often were unable to converse fluently in the language of the country to which they were posted because of insufficient language require-

The report criticized the young leadership division headed by Uri Gordon for the absence of “clear work programs for its work in Israel and abroad and lack of attendance records in the Jerusalem office.” The Comptroller also charged that the Bialik Literary. Institute of the WZO spent money “out of all proportions” for the ordinary printing of books. Dulzin will ask the WZO Executive to act on the Comptroller’s recommendations.