Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., February 29, 2008 Adar1 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:20 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

U.S. Jews' opposition holds up Jewish Agency deal with Christian group By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Jewish Agency, Israel  Opposition from Jewish community federations in the United States is hindering the implementation of an agreement between the Jewish Agency and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, under which the IFCJ was to double its donations to the agency. According to the agreement, signed two months ago, the IFCJ - a body that promotes Christian support of Israel - is to donate $45 million to agency projects over the next three years. In return, the IFCJ's founder and president, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, is to be a voting member of the agency's executive board and budget committee. The agreement, doubling the IFCJ's former level of donations, has raised objections from the agency's main donors in the U.S., where federation leaders have complained of not having been consulted by the Jewish Agency's chairman before he signed the agreement with the IFCJ. Advertisement At first, the main objections were due to reports that a Christian representative would become a member of the agency's board of governors, but it emerged that only Eckstein would serve, representing his Christian Evangelist donors. The main sticking point now is the stipulation in the agreement that the IFCJ would be accorded the status of a funding partner, the same as that of the United Jewish Communities and Keren Hayesod. The IFCJ demand that on every new project inaugurated by Jewish Agency, their donation will be acknowledged on the signposts and posters, just as the UJC and Keren Hayesod are. But in the last two months, due to pressure from senior board members of the Chicago and New York federations, the agency has not added the IFCJ logo to signposts at new projects, such as the reinforcement of buildings in Sderot, to which IFCJ contributed. Related articles: ANALYSIS / Deal with Jewish Agency makes IFCJ 'strategic partner' U.S. pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain Taking 'yes' for an answer Bookmark to del.icio.us   Power to the people Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity, to wean dependency on Israel. Calculated escalation Hamas has been trying for some time to create a balance of deterrence with Israel.   1.   THere Should Be More Christian Representation 07:01  |  Tod Zuckerman 28/02/08   2.   Money 09:34  |  Jim Brown 28/02/08   3.   Great news, stick to it 11:12  |  Inte Rest 28/02/08

Today Online IDF kills 20, including 5 children, in Gaza, West Bank Responses: 254 Barak: Large-scale Gaza operation is 'real and tangible' Responses: 117 Editorial: Decision on Gaza operation should be daring and level-headed Responses: 65 Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule it out for future Responses: 86 Pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain Responses: 52 More Headlines 23:29 IDF kills 20 Palestinians in Gaza, W. Bank, including 5 children 23:36 Defense Min. orders rocket alert sirens be activated in Ashkelon 20:43 Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity 01:28 Hundreds mourn student killed in Wednesday's Sderot rocket attack 22:58 Shin Bet arrests female terror suspect, 17, from East J'lem 22:46 German Jewish leader urges Merkel to back Israel's stance on Iran 01:16 Sapir College licks its wounds after student killed by rocket 01:38 U.S. court denies bail for ex-Jerusalem Post publisher Conrad Black 01:58 Impatient with Syria, U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast 22:05 U.K. officials: Prince Harry serving on front line in Afghanistan 02:00 Iran tells UN council sanctions over nuclear program aren't legal Previous Editions Select Day 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb

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