Moscow cancels Jewish Agency meet over presence of Putin adversary
An agency source said Kremlin's real objection to meet stems from Nevzlin's membership on the board.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Russia Israel news Jewish AgencyThe Jewish Agency canceled a board meeting planned for St. Petersburg, Russia, later this month, after Moscow yesterday told the Israeli embassy that it would not allow it to take place.
Agency sources attributed the diplomatic row to the presence on the board of businessman Leonid Nevzlin, who is a political enemy of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The agency's board meets three times a year to determine policy. The meeting was scheduled to be in two and a half weeks in Russia, where agency chairman Natan Sharansky was born. It had been planned for months and was promoted as an historical event. It was to be attended by hundreds of Israeli and Jewish delegates from all over the world.
Sharansky announced officially that the St. Petersburg convention was canceled and would take place in Jerusalem instead. An agency spokesman said preparations took some three months and coordinated with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the St. Petersburg governor.
In the last two weeks the agency and the Israeli embassy in Moscow received messages from Moscow objecting to the gathering. The official reason was that the agency, acting in Russia legally as a local NGO, could not hold an international conference.
An agency source said the Kremlin's real objection stems from Nevzlin's membership on the board. The Russian-born Nevzlin, who made his fortune as a high-ranking executive in the former Russian oil firm Yukos, settled in Israel six years ago after business partner Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested.
Nevzlin and other Yukos executives paid a heavy price for supporting some of Putin's political rivals, as Russia issued arrest warrants against them. Russia is seeking Nevzlin on allegations of attempted murder and corruption.
The Israeli Supreme Court has rejected the extradition requests, citing insufficient evidence.
"Obviously Nevzlin himself wouldn't have come to the meeting," an agency source said. "He wouldn't want to be arrested and end up like Mikhail Khodorkovsky in prison. But the fact that he's a member of the board is a red flag to the Russians."
A senior official blasted the agency yesterday for inviting hundreds of people to the event before making sure the Russian government would allow it to take place. The source said the agency's management was "amateurish."
"Someone probably didn't notice that Nevzlin's name appears on all the lists of governors' names passed on to the Russians. They should have known it would infuriate the Russians," the source said.
Agency officials also slammed the Foreign Ministry and especially Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who boasts of his close relations with the Russian administration.
Had they acted in time they could have avoided the embarrassment to the most active Israeli body operating in Russia, they said.
The Foreign Ministry and Lieberman's office refused to comment. Nevzlin's spokesman said, "we are not familiar with the case."
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Both the Hebrew and Christian bibles note that there are only two TYPES of peoples on this planet: jews and gentiles. Both the Hebrew and Christian bibles note that the "children of Israel" were handpicked by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to be as "salt and light" to the pagan gentile nations surrounding them, and that through this "salt and light" mission would come great blessing to all mankind. The 21st Century "children of Israel" need to stand strong; both left and right; secular and sacred, need to be singing off the same page. They don't need to seek the approval of any gentile and/or gentile nation to do what is deemed necessary in order to remain an intact State of Israel. Liberman is doing what is necessary. Let him be. Only non-players armchair quarterback. The G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob designated a land; He chose a people; He gave His Word. The G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not a man that He would tell a lie; and allow jews to believe,or print, a lie
Criminals must be collected in Israel or the Palestinian territories. Russia does not need them:)
When shall we get rid of this minister and his gang? theare a real nuissace, a time bomb
as all have come true so far, many zionists won't be able to step foot in many countries except their buddies, america and britain and maybe here.
The jewish agency legally operates in in Russia, and has been doing so for 2 decades. It just shows how tightly the Russian authoritarian regime controls its people and prevents freedom of assembly and speech. Even if Nevzlin is officially indicted in Russia, he has NOT been proven guilty, so why should the Russian government persecute all those associated with him? Russia is spiraling into authoritarian dictatorship with only a vestige of democracy left - much like Iran, Venezuela, China, and Cuba- the regime claims it is acting on behalf of the people, but they are only acting on behalf of themselves! These type of regimes will be the next wave to challenge the West, along with Islamofascism. America, Europe, and Japan had better stand firm!
The Foreign Ministry and Lieberman's office refused to comment. Nevzlin's spokesman said, "we are not familiar with the case." Lieberman isn't in jail yet ?