Bronfman resigns as World Jewish Congress president

Bronfman resigns as World Jewish Council president
May. 7, 2007 22:02 | Updated May. 8, 2007 13:35
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS


After months of turmoil, the long-time president of the New York-based World Jewish Congress, Edgar Bronfman, announced his resignation Monday in a move meant to avert an historic split in the organization, officials said.

Bronfman, 77, led the WJC for the last quarter century. The decision was announced at a meeting of the group's steering committee in Manhattan.

Bronfman's resignation came less than two months after he ousted WJC chairman Israel Singer over allegations of financial improprieties.

Bronfman's decision followed months of infighting over control of the WJC's Jerusalem office. That dispute stemmed from the appointment of Israeli Ambassador to the European Union Oded Eran to head the office.

The appointment was seen by members of the Israeli board as an attempt by the organization's New York-based secretary-general, Stephen E. Herbits, to bypass the Jerusalem office with a hand-picked appointment who would serve as Bronfman's personal emissary.

Herbits on Monday apologized to the Tunisian-born President of the European Jewish Congress for likening him to an Arab in an internal memo, Besnainou said.

The memo was first published in The Jerusalem Post on Friday. A WJC spokesman had previously denied that Herbits had made an ethnic slur.

The elder Bronfman has served as president of the organization since 1979.

The non-profit organization is best known for compelling European banks to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in Holocaust restitution.