From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 12, 2017
JNF leaders appeal to Netanyahu over bill taking cut of its funds
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJewish National Fund leaders around the world pen letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protesting a bill that would seize NIS 2 billion of the organization’s funds for national infrastructure projects.
The bill was approved by the Knesset’s Finance Committee last week for its final readings in the plenum.
“For 116 years JNF/KKL has been supporting critical environmental projects in Israel. We believe that any action to expropriate funds from the organization could cause serious damage to it,” writes Peter Smaller, JNF Australia president. “We fervently request that you do not, in any way, pass laws that change the status of KKL/JNF.”
The president of the JNF’s Belgium branch writes that he “regrets” the proposal was advanced without consultations with JNF offices abroad, “considering that the JNF KKL has been created by the Jewish Diaspora in 1901.”
“The government’s proposal… ignores the will of the Jewish people and its long-standing investment from around the world who understood the importance of redeeming land in the State of Israel,” writes Jacky Benzennou. “We appeal to you not to take this decision and prevent this destructive step that will harm the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people, and will cause great damage to the connection with the Jewish communities around the world.”
Earlier, hundreds of JNF employees rallied outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
The Times of Israel Community.