DOCSLIB.ORG

Companies Report 2018 Public

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Companies Report 2018 Public oך JEWISH AGENCY COMPANIES 2018 Annual Report 1 Table of Contents Foreword Introduction THE COMPANIES Mission Amigour Beit Hatfutsot Ben Yakir Youth Village Daroma Tzafona Idan He’Atid Daroma Tzafona Tikun Olam International Convention Center Binyanei HaUma Israel Experience – Educational Tourism Services Ltd. Israel Tech Challenge Jewish People Policy Institute Masa Misholei Hinuch (Ramat Hadassah Youth Village) Nativ – The National Center for Jewish Studies, Identity and Conversion Ofek Yisraeli – Aliyah Promotion Company Olamit The National Project for the Ethiopian Community in Israel The Spirit of Israel Yearim Youth Village Youth Futures Services Amigour 2000 Company for the Financing of the Jewish Agency's Public Housing Project Idud Israel Economic Development Corporation (Chayil) Kupat Hayishuv Lalan Pension and Provident Fund Real Estate Participations IEF Companies Overview Colleges: Alperin Kinneret College of Technology in Emek Hayarden Gertrude & Morris Rodman Educational Center at Tel Hai Kaye College of Education in Beersheva UJA New York Women’s Division Levinsky College of Education Zinman College of Physical Education & Sport Sciences at the Wingate Inst. List of IEF Companies (other than colleges) Other Companies 2 Foreword Dear Friends, We are pleased to present you with the latest Annual Report on activities of the Jewish Agency subsidiary companies. This report, submitted to members of the Board of Governors’ Assets & Liabilities Committee and Companies Subcommittee, conveys the extent and intensity of activity in which our companies are involved, in Israel and the Jewish world. We hope you find it informative and useful. Richie Pearlstone Fred Zimmerman Chairman, Chairman, Assets & Liabilities Committee Companies Subcommittee 3 Introduction Dear Friends, As in previous years, we are pleased to present you with the Jewish Agency Companies Report for 2018 which summarizes the broad range of activity of our companies and reflects the high level of involvement of Jewish Agency companies in the Israeli economic and social scenes. We continue to present this report digitally in order to make it as easily accessible as possible and provide wide exposure to the important work of Jewish Agency companies. The goal of synergy and cooperation among the various companies and with the Jewish Agency units continues to guide us in order to present a unified front in face of the challenges with which we are dealing. In recent years the Jewish Agency subsidiary companies have become an integral part of the institution and serve to enhance the position of the Jewish Agency in the Israeli marketplace, and of this we are proud. I'd like to take this is an opportunity to thank all our partners in these endeavors and we look forward to coming years of challenges and achievements. Yours, Arieh Abir Head of the Companies Bureau 4 Amigour Founded in 1972 The Amigour housing company operates throughout the country. It is the leading company in Israel in the area of sheltered housing (7,000 residents) and the second largest in the field of public housing (11,000 units). In recent years, the company has become a leader in the field of security rooms and residential bomb shelters. The goals of the company focus on providing housing solutions for those in need, especially new immigrants, senior citizens and Holocaust survivors. Since its establishment, the company has provided more than 60,000 housing solutions to these populations. Approximately 70% of the residents of Amigour’s 57 senior citizen homes are Holocaust survivors. The Jewish Agency, led by its Finance Unit and Assets Management Division, together with Amigour, conducted negotiations with the Government of Israel, and on December 31st 2015, an agreement was signed for the construction of approximately 2,650 units of low-cost public housing for seniors and others in need. This project is in collaboration with the United Israel Appeal, Jewish Federations of North America and United Israel Appeal Canada. The construction of the units is being carried out by Amigour, as will be the ongoing rental and maintenance management. The agreement constitutes a dramatic addition to public housing offerings in Israel. This addition will significantly ease the process of receiving public housing for those who qualify and will shorten the existing queue. This is an additional step toward equal opportunity and social justice within Israeli society. In 2017, the construction of some 180 units began on Derech Hashalom St. in Tel Aviv and in January 2018 construction has begun of 471 units in Ashkelon. During the course of 2019, the construction of 800-1000 additional units is expected to begin in Ashdod, Beersheva, Herzliya, Netanya, Rehovot and Tel Aviv, subject to permits. Management Agreement with the Government – Amigour signed a management agreement with the Government for the management of public housing apartments transferred to state ownership. Without such a management agreement, there was a threat that the Government would transfer the management of the apartments to the government-owned public housing company and Amigour would lose its core business. The public housing management agreement ensures a steady economic basis for Amigour’s activities. This agreement demonstrates the government’s recognition of Amigour’s capabilities. The Government of Israel has stated it would implement the option of extending the management agreement for another two years and has announced its intention to negotiate on the subsequent management agreement and finalize the negotiations sometime in 2019. Nursing Homes – Amigour runs nine wards in two nursing homes, providing nursing care for 324 seniors who are eligible for this. These nursing homes offer some of the highest standards in the country, and their construction helps to provide a solution for the severe shortage of such facilities, particularly in the north of the country. The Jewish Agency, through Amigour, is providing solutions to the large demand for seniors housing and nursing facilities in the area north of Haifa. 5 Project Renewal - Project Renewal is considered one of the leading social projects in Israel aimed at bringing about social change in the weaker neighborhoods and towns. After many years of hiatus, the Ministry of Construction and Housing decided to allocate significant resources to carrying out renovations in entire neighborhoods around the country. In this framework, Amigour has renovated 2222 apartments in the cities of Migdal Haemek, Ofakim, Sderot, Netivot, Ashkelon and Nahariya. Renovations of Public Housing in Cooperation with "Ayalim" – The Ministry of Construction and Housing is running a social project through Amigour in cooperation with the Ayalim non-profit association, for renovating public housing buildings for the benefit of residents, many of them Holocaust survivors. In this framework, 500 units have already been renovated along with the surrounding public areas in Sderot, Ofakim, Kiryat Ata and Migdal Ha'emek. The project is set to expand to additional cities around the country. Amigour is highly esteemed by a range of government ministries that have entrusted it to handle various issues on their behalf. These include the Ministries of Defense, Housing, Absorption and Finance. On behalf of The Jewish Agency, Amigour is at the forefront of meeting Israeli society’s needs in times of emergency and on an ongoing basis. Board of Directors: The following are the company’s directors: Arieh Abir (Chair), Eran Agai, Eli Barda, Yitzchak Brick, Amira Dotan, Amiram Massas, Barbara Promislow, Isaac Rosenberger, Josh Schwarcz, Moshe Shiff. All of the above were appointed by The Jewish Agency. CEO: Yuval Frenkel Shares in the company are held as follows: Share Category Shareholders Total Shares Jewish Agency UIA WZO Jewish Agency Subsidiaries Issued Founder 1 1 Regular 1999994 1 1 3 1999999 Ashkelon – Beit Ohel Moise Y. Safra Architect's rendering Under construction 6 Amigour – Organizational Chart Chairman CEO Legal Advisor Company Internal Auditor Secretary Branches Headquarters HR and Seniors, Engineee- Finance and Properties Administration Spokesman and ring Computers and FRD residents Midgal "Krayot" Center Ashdod Ashkelon Sderot Ofakim and Haemek, Netivot Carmiel, Nahariya 7 Project in cooperation with "Ayalim" Project Renewal - Ofakim 8 Beit Hatfutsot Founded in 1978 Established in 1978, the Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot has the status of "National Center for Jewish Communities in Israel and Around the World", by a 2005 Knesset law. Over the past decade, Beit Hatfutsot has turned its attention to the central, existential challenge facing the Jewish People today – a growing disconnect of many young Jews from the diverse global Jewish family, a personal sense of Jewish belonging and a connection to Israel. In response to this growing crisis, Beit Hatfutsot has launched an ambitious renewal process: in 2016, the museum's New Wing opened (Phase I), and the new Core Exhibition (Phase II) will be completed by the end of 2019. The new Core Exhibition will inspire all visitors to connect and interact with the achievements, history and values of the Jewish People. Utilizng cutting-edge design and technology to showcase a vision of Jewish life that is diverse, accessible and engaging, and connecting visitors with a personal sense of their identity, roots and connectedness, the new Core Exhibition will comprise three wings - Identity and Culture: the diverse forms of Jewish culture in modern times
Load more

Recommended publications
  • IDC Herzliya's President and Founder, the Israeli Marketing Association Expresses Its Appreciation for His Initiative and Leadership As the Prof
    Herzliyan The IDC WINTER 2017 Leading Innovation IDC Herzliya Inaugurates the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School of Entrepreneurship Contact IDC Herzliya: Israel Friends of IDC Tel: +972-9-952-7212 • [email protected] International Friends of IDC Tel: +972-9-952-7321 • [email protected] American Friends of IDC Tel: +1-212-213-5962 • [email protected] UK & Francophone Europe Friends of IDC Tel: +44 (0)778 384 6852 • [email protected] IDC Alumni Association Tel: +972-9-960-2756 • [email protected] Raphael Recanati International School Tel: +972-9-960-2806 • [email protected] THE RAPHAEL RECANATI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL THANKS ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH SCHOOL IN ISRAEL THE ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL (IAC) GARIN TZABAR HESEG HILLEL ISRAEL AT HEART ISRAEL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ISRAEL MINISTRY OF IMMIGRANT ABSORPTION THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL & WZO THE JEWISH FEDERATIONS MASA NEFESH B’NEFESH OLIM ORGANIZATIONS STAND WITH US STUDENT AUTHORITY TAGLIT BIRTHRIGHT THE ZIONIST YOUTH MOVEMENTS BA Business Administration | Business & Economics (double major) | Communications | Government for helping us bring 1,800 students Government & Sustainability (double major) | Psychology from 86 countries to study for full academic degrees taught in English. BSc Computer Science MA Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security Studies Diplomacy & Conflict Studies | Financial Economics (MAFE) Organizational Behavior & Development (OBD) Social Psychology GLOBAL MBA Innovation & Entrepreneurship Strategy & Business Development MBA One-Year Program LIVE IN ISRAEL Study in English ISRAEL +972 9 960 2841 [email protected] www.rris.idc.ac.il NORTH AMERICA +1 866 999 RRIS [email protected] UK & FRANCOPHONE EUROPE +44 (0) 778 384 6852 [email protected] IDC HERZLIYAN WINTER 2017 Inside Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Canada's Tax-Deductible Support for Israel's Crimes
    Canada’s Tax-Deductible Support for Israel’s Crimes By Yves Engler Region: Canada, Middle East & North Africa Global Research, August 25, 2014 Theme: Religion Electronic Intifada 22 August 2014 When is a Canadian who leaves this country to join a foreign military force and participate in the killing of innocent civilians, including children, called a “terror tourist” and sent to jail? The answer is: only when that person joins a military force the Conservative government disagrees with. Numerous ministers in the current federal government have loudly denounced the radicalization of Canadian youth in foreign wars. Last year, the Conservatives passed a law that sets a maximum fifteen year prison sentenceleaving for “or attempting to leaveCanada” to commit terrorism.Jason Kenney, the minister for multiculturalism, recentlysaid the government is trying “to monitor networks that recruit and radicalize youth.” Last month, Somali-Canadian Mohamed Hersi was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempting to join the al-Shabab militia in Somalia. Arrested at Toronto’s Pearson airport before leaving, Hersi was not found guilty of committing or plotting a specific act of violence, but according to the presiding judge, was “poised to become a terror tourist.” Yet our government does nothing to hundreds of other Canadians who join a different foreign military force which daily terrorizes millions of people and often uses explosives to kill thousands — most of whom are civilians. It’s unknown exactly how many Canadians are participating in Israel’s ongoing attackson Gaza but an Israeli military spokesperson hassaid there were 139 Canadians in the Israeli military in 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel in 1982: the War in Lebanon
    Israel in 1982: The War in Lebanon by RALPH MANDEL LS ISRAEL MOVED INTO its 36th year in 1982—the nation cele- brated 35 years of independence during the brief hiatus between the with- drawal from Sinai and the incursion into Lebanon—the country was deeply divided. Rocked by dissension over issues that in the past were the hallmark of unity, wracked by intensifying ethnic and religious-secular rifts, and through it all bedazzled by a bullish stock market that was at one and the same time fuel for and seeming haven from triple-digit inflation, Israelis found themselves living increasingly in a land of extremes, where the middle ground was often inhospitable when it was not totally inaccessible. Toward the end of the year, Amos Oz, one of Israel's leading novelists, set out on a journey in search of the true Israel and the genuine Israeli point of view. What he heard in his travels, as published in a series of articles in the daily Davar, seemed to confirm what many had sensed: Israel was deeply, perhaps irreconcilably, riven by two political philosophies, two attitudes toward Jewish historical destiny, two visions. "What will become of us all, I do not know," Oz wrote in concluding his article on the develop- ment town of Beit Shemesh in the Judean Hills, where the sons of the "Oriental" immigrants, now grown and prosperous, spewed out their loath- ing for the old Ashkenazi establishment. "If anyone has a solution, let him please step forward and spell it out—and the sooner the better.
    [Show full text]
  • EXTENSIONS of REMARKS April 13, 1989 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS Yielding to Extraordinary Economic Pres­ Angola
    6628 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 13, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS Yielding to extraordinary economic pres­ Angola. Already cut off from South African TESTIMONY OF HOWARD sures from the U.S. government, South aid, which had helped stave off well funded PHILLIPS Africa agreed to a formula wherein the anti­ invasion-scale Soviet-led assaults during communist black majority Transitional 1986 and 1987, UNITA has been deprived by HON. DAN BURTON Government of National Unity, which had the Crocker accords of important logistical been administering Namibia since 1985, supply routes through Namibia, which ad­ OF INDIANA would give way to a process by which a new joins liberated southeastern Angola. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES government would be installed under United If, in addition, a SWAPO regime were to Thursday, April 13, 1989 Nations auspices. use Namibia's Caprivi Strip as a base for South Africa also agreed to withdraw its anti-UNITA Communist forces, UNITA's Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I estimated 40,000 military personnel from ability to safeguard those now resident in would like to enter a statement by Mr. Howard Namibia, with all but 1,500 gone by June 24, the liberated areas would be in grave ques­ Phillips of the Conservative Caucus into the to dismantle the 35,000-member, predomi­ tion. RECORD. In view of recent events in Namibia, nantly black, South West African Territori­ America has strategic interests in south­ al Force, and to permit the introduction of ern Africa. The mineral resources concen­ I think it is very important for all of us who are 6,150 U.N.
    [Show full text]
  • ISRAEL's TRUTH-TELLING WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY Inquest Faults
    September 1991 IIISRAEL'''S TTTRUTH---T-TTTELLING WITHOUT AAACCOUNTABILITY Inquest Faults Police in Killings at Jerusalem HolyHoly Site But Judge Orders No Charges Table of Contents I. Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 II. The Confrontation: Sequence of Events............................................................................................................................................................ 6 III. Judge Kama's Findings on Police Conduct.................................................................................................................................................... 8 IV. The Case for Prosecution ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 I. Introduction Middle East Watch commends the extensive investigation published by Israeli Magistrate Ezra Kama on July 18 into the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif killings. However, Middle East Watch is disturbed that, in light of evidence establishing criminal conduct by identifiable police officers, none of the officers involved in the incident has been prosecuted or disciplined. Middle East Watch also believes that the police's criminal investigation of the incident last fall was grossly negligent and in effect sabotaged the
    [Show full text]
  • A Plan for Allocating Successor Organization Resources
    A Plan for Allocating Successor Organization Resources Report of the Planning Committee, Conference On Jewish Material Claims Against Germany June 28, 2000 25 Sivan 5760 1 Rabbi Israel Miller, President, Conference On Jewish Material Claims Against Germany 15 East 26 Street New York, New York Dear Israel, I am pleased to enclose A Plan for Allocating Successor Organization Resources, the report of the distinguished Planning Committee which I have had the honor of chairing. The Committee has completed a thoughtful ten-month process, carefully reviewing the issues and exploring a variety of options before coming to the conclusions contained in this document. We trust that you will bring these recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Claims Conference for review and action. Through this experience, I have become convinced that the work of the Claims Conference is not adequately understood or appreciated. I hope that this report and the results of this planning process will help dispel the confusion about the past and future achievements of the Claims Conference. No amount of money can compensate for the destruction of innocent human beings and thriving communities or the decimation of the Jewish people as a whole by the Nazis. We can try to use available resources - specifically the proceeds of the sale of communal and unclaimed property in the former East Germany - to respond to the most critical needs related to the consequences of the Shoah. This is what the enclosed Plan tries to accomplish. I want to thank the members of the Committee who came from near and far for their attendance and commitment, and for the high quality of their participation.
    [Show full text]
  • Honoring Them
    APRIL. 28, 2020 • YOM HAZIKARON Honoring Our Heroes A “lone soldier” is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to support him or her: a new immigrant, a volunteer from abroad, an orphan or an individual from a broken home. Definition- Lone Soldier Center #HONORINGTHEM #ISRAELDAYS LEARN ABOUT 4 OF OUR HEROES Bios and photos included How does this PRINT/DOWNLOAD THE Work? #HONORINGTHEM HEART If you have the ability- print the heart, decorate and honor a soldier SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA Printed? Take a selfie with your decorated heart, include in your posts April 28, 2020 • Yom HaZikaron #HONORINGTHEM #ISRAELDAYS Can't print? Download the heart and share it as a photo on social media, include in your #HONORINGTHEM #ISRAELDAYS posts #HONORINGTHEM #ISRAELDAYS Michael Levin made Aliyah from Philadelphia in 2002 and MICHAEL LEVIN, 22 joined the Paratroopers. In the summer of 2006, while visiting his family in the US, war broke out on Israel’s northern border when Hizbollah ambushed an IDF patrol, killing five reservists and kidnapping 2 soldiers while wounded. When Israel crossed the border in an attempt to rescue them, Hizbollah began its assault on Israel, launching thousands of rockets at nothern Israel. Michael immediately cut short his vacation and returned to Israel to serve with his unit, fighting to receive permission to rejoin them in the north. Michael's unit was sent to a Hizbollah village where Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev had been taken two weeks earlier. On August 1st, Michael’s unit began an intense fire-fight with Hizbollah forces inside the village of Aita al-Shaab.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Europe
    Western Europe Great Britain National Affairs OIGNS OF SLOW BUT DISCERNIBLE economic recovery in 1993 —such as a drop in interest rate, reduced inflation, and even a small decline in unemploy- ment — did nothing to halt the unremitting decline in the political fortunes of Prime Minister John Major's Conservative government. The Tories lost to the Liberal Democrats in by-elections for two hitherto safe parliamentary seats — Newbury in May and Christchurch in July — and in local elections in May, when the Conserva- tives lost control of all but one county council. The most likely cause of the government's unpopularity was its own disunity. Internal dissension, for example, dogged the progress of the bill to ratify the Maas- tricht Treaty on European Union. In March the government lost a key vote on the bill by 22 votes, and Major had to call for a vote of confidence in July, which did insure final ratification of the treaty. The Labor party limited itself to profiting from the government's unpopularity and to updating its image and organization. Under leader John Smith's impetus, the party's annual conference in September voted to abolish the bloc vote enjoyed by the trade unions, in a bid to enhance the party's appeal to middle-class electors. Despite appeals by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and other groups, the government's Asylum Bill, which would limit the number of political refugees admitted to Britain, was passed by the House of Commons in January. Israel and the Middle East The draft peace accord signed by Israel and the Palestinians in September was welcomed by all political parties and opened the door to a more positive stance by Britain in Middle East politics.
    [Show full text]
  • 4537-ZOA Report SP07.P4
    report A Publication of the Zionist Organization of America Spring 2007 PUTTING PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY’S MAHMOUD ABBAS INTO FOCUS “It is our duty to implement the principles of Yasser Arafat” INSIDE: ZOA’s JUSTICE LOUIS BRANDEIS ANNUAL DINNER FEATURED: MORT ZUCKERMAN, RONALD LAUDER & JAMES TISCH ZOA NATIONAL CONVENTION ZOA ON THE BAKER REPORT ANSWERING JIMMY CARTER ZOA CAMPUS NETWORK ZOA RESPONDS TO ATTACKS ON PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY 4537-ZOA Report SP07.p6 2/12/07 11:21 AM Page 2 ZOA President’s Message Abbas: Promotes Terrorism – Not Peace Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – labeled as a “moderate” by both Washington and the media – spoke to a rally of Fatah supporters in Ramallah. His message was for Palestinians to stop killing each other. But rather than merely call for communal peace, he urged them to murder Israeli Jews instead. Abbas called for Palestinians to turn their guns and rifles on Israeli Jews, “saying: “We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation. It is forbidden to use these guns report against Palestinians. ... Our rifles, all our rifles are aimed at the occupation.” Spring 2007 Iran’s notorious President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have been proud to deliver a speech such as that given by the supposed moderate Abbas. Published by the This was not just a case of one small, revealing statement of extremism from the P.A. leader. On the contrary, in this Zionist Organization of America speech, Abbas praised the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat and other Fatah terrorists killed in attacks on Israelis as Jacob and Libby Goodman ZOA House 4 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016 “martyrs,” as well as specifically saluting Sheik Ahmed Yassin, one of the founders of the terrorist group Hamas.
    [Show full text]
  • The Image of the Amish in the New York Times Versus the Image of the Haredim in Haaretz
    conflict & communication online, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2014 www.cco.regener-online.de ISSN 1618-0747 Benyamin Neuberger & Keren-Miriam Tamam The image of the Amish in the New York Times versus the image of the Haredim1 in Haaretz (1980-2010)2 Kurzfassung: Der vorliegende Aufsatz vergleicht die Presseberichterstattung über die Beziehung zweier ultra-religiöser Gruppen, der Amish-Gemeinde in den USA und der Haredi-Gemeinde in Israel, zu ihren jeweiligen Staaten. Obwohl die Amish in Israel mitunter als "ame- rikanische Haredim" bezeichnet werden, gibt es bedeutende Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Gruppen und ihrer Darstellung in den Me- dien. Nichtsdestotrotz gibt es aber auch hinreichend viele Ähnlichkeiten, um einen Vergleich zu rechtfertigen. Im Wesentlichen spiegeln die Unterschiede der Berichterstattung über die beiden Gruppen in der New York Times und in Haaretz die grundlegenden Unterschiede ihrer Stellung in ihrer jeweiligen Gesellschaft und ihrer Haltung gegenüber dem Staat wider. Während die Amish die USA als "land of freedom" akzeptieren, betrachten die Haredim Israel nicht als einen wirklich jüdischen Staat. Während sich der Dialog zwischen den Amish und ihrem Staat um bürgerliche Freiheiten und Rechtsgrundsätze dreht, leitet sich die Auseinandersetzung mit den Haredim von einer abweichenden Wahrnehmung des Charakters des israelischen Staates her. Die Haltung der Haredim gegenüber der Mehrheitsgesellschaft und dem Staat ist in großem Maße konflikthaltig und damit meilenweit entfernt von der Einstellung der Gelas- senheit, die für die Amish charakteristisch ist. Abstract: This article compares the newspaper coverage of the relationship of two ultra-religious groups, the Amish community in the USA and the Haredi community in Israel, with their respective states.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel Elections 2019 Update
    Israel Elections 2019 Update September 10, 2019 With no party succeeding in forming a government following the elections that took place in Israel in April, 2019, a brand new election will now take place next week, on September 17. JFNA is pleased to present the following backgrounder summarizing what has occurred, and what may happen in the coming weeks and months. JFNA has also prepared a background briefing on why a second round of elections are taking place – which can be seen here, as well as a paper on how Israeli elections work. Elections: Round Two Perhaps the most crucial take away from the backgrounder papers (linked above) is that in practice, Israeli elections have two “stages.” The first - the actual elections - occurs when the population elects the 120-members of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Those are the national elections, but once the results of these elections are known, we don’t always have a clear picture of who will lead the country. This only occurs during what we can call a “second stage” when a potential prime minister seeks to form a governing majority coalition of at least 61, from among those 120 newly elected MKs (represented through their parties). September 2019’s theme: Mergers In the months that have passed since second elections were called, there has been little, if any, debate about policy or major issues of substance; or even discussions about personality. Instead, the focus has been on tactics, strategy and coalition building. So, in many ways, the September 2019 look like a redo of the elections that took place in April.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel's Law of Return and the Debate of Altering
    ALTSCHUL.DOC 4/21/2003 4:42 PM ISRAEL’S LAW OF RETURN AND THE DEBATE OF ALTERING, REPEALING, OR MAINTAINING ITS PRESENT LANGUAGE MARK J. ALTSCHUL* This note examines the factors that lead to the implementation of the Law of Return in Israel. The Law of Return plays an important role by permitting members of the Jewish faith to receive Israeli citi- zenship. The author begins by providing a history of the development of Israel as a nation and exploring the origins of its Law of Return. Next, he traces the historical impact of the Law of Return on the country and on those immigrating to this nation, with a special em- phasis on those emigrating from Russia. Next, the author analyzes the recent movement toward amendment of the Law of Return. Reli- gious leaders propose that the Law of Return should be amended to recognize immigrants as Jews (under religious law) only if the immi- grants undergo an Orthodox conversion. The author notes that this proposal, however, could alienate Jewish Americans as well as Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. On the other hand, some politicians and intellectuals recommend a more radical reform of the Law of Return. Arguing that the Law of Return demonstrates an “in- tolerance for its minority population,” they recommend that the Law of Return be drastically changed or abolished. The author proposes that the two sides reach a compromise that requires Israel to establish the Orthodox-Conservative-Reform Con- version Institute. This institute would encourage the continued immi- gration of Jews to Israel because it would permit entire families to immigrate to Israel and eventually enable the non-Jewish members of the family to convert to Judaism.
    [Show full text]