Last update - 00:00 30/05/2007
Leading candidates to run on single ticket in WJC elections
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent
Jewish American billionaire Ron Lauder and businessman Matthew Bronfman have announced that they will run together in the upcoming World Jewish Congress leadership elections.
Lauder and Bronfman have agreed that if they win in the upcoming elections, to be held in New York on June 10th, Lauder will take the presidency of the Congress, and Bronfman take the post of chairman of the governing body of the Congress, considered the second most senior position in the organization.
Bronfman is the son of outgoing World Jewish Congress President Edgar Bronfman, who resigned from his post after 30 years as head of the Congress. Lauder is the son of cosmetics magnate Estee Lauder and has long been involved in a number of Jewish and non-Jewish civic organizations.
Lauder and Bronfman's alliance has struck a serious blow to the campaign of South African businessman Mendal Kaplan, considered a serious candidate for the position.
Lauder said on Tuesday that "We are working together to ensure that the World Jewish Congress remains the world's strongest organization representing the concerns of the world's Jewish community."
Lauder promised to carry out reforms in the organization, including clearing up financial discrepancies and ensuring the economic solvency of the organization.
Also on Tuesday, a third contender declared her candidacy for the head of the World Jewish Congress. The contender, Einat Wilf, a 36-year-old Israeli, is a representative for the organization "Kol Dor." Wilf stated that there is a need for a new generation of Jewish workers to reshape the vision of the World Jewish Congress.