World Zionist Organization vice chairman slams surprise Yair Netanyahu appointment

The proposed appointment of Yair Netanyahu for a board position at the World Zionist Organization is “unacceptable,” WZO vice chairman Yizhar Hess says in statement.

The appointment of the prime minister’s son to a cushy position was presented late last night after an agreement about a broad compromise over other key appointments had already been reached.

“Yesterday we at the national institutions were on the cusp of an historic, balanced agreement that would have united the Jewish people and positioned us to meet the challenges facing Israel and the Jewish world,” says Hess, who also serves as a senior representative of the Mercaz slate for the the Conservative/Masorti Movement.

“As we saw in the reactions of dismay and shock on the Congress floor, representatives of the liberal/pluralistic camp raised their voices and made clear we will only sign an agreement that is balanced and unites Israel and the Jewish people.”

Hess says a deal that hands Yair Netanyahu any position in the national institutions “is clearly not that and is not an option.”

He adds that Mercaz will continue to work with its partners to shape a balanced final agreement.