Russian billionaire Moshe Kantor, who resides in Switzerland, was elected the new European Jewish Congress (EJC) president yesterday. Kantor, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, beat the incumbent, French businessman Pierre Besnainou.

Following his victory, Kantor said he was proud that the EJC, the European Jewish communities' umbrella organization, had elected a person who is "a true believer in European Jewry." Besnainou told Haaretz in a previous interview that he does not believe European Jewry has a future.

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EJC sources said they believed Kantor had won thanks to support from Eastern European Jewish communities and Germany and British representatives. The EJC has delegates from 32 countries, including Russia and Ukraine. The number of votes each community has depends on its size.

The contest between Kantor and Besnainou was to a great extent a contest between world views. Besnainou believes the congress should act as a pro-Israeli lobby in the European Union capital of Brussels. Kantor, on the other hand, believes the EJC's main function is cultural and educational including working to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust and strengthening Jewish identity in the younger generation.

Kantor, whose worth is estimated at $1.4 billion, owns a fertilizer company operating in Russia and China. He founded the European Jewish Fund that assists Jewish identity programs on the continent and the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, which held a commemoration event in Krakow marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. During that event, Kantor awarded a medal to Putin.

Some European Jewish community leaders warned that the election of a Putin associate would damage the EJC in Brussels due to the tension between Russia and the EU. In an interview with Haaretz, Kantor said his association with Putin serves the interests of the Jewish people.