Meltdown at WJC

From Isi Leibler (personal blog), March 20, 2007 [intro only - follow the link to read the rferenced articles from The New York Times, Globes and The Jewish Forward]...

I attach ... three articles, samples from the immense global press coverage of the WJC over the past few days. Jews everywhere must be distressed at the scandalous nature of the entire saga which continues to provide immense satisfaction to enemies of the Jewish people. Hopefully this disgraceful episode is now finally coming to an end.

The positive aspect is that despite overwhelming odds, people power has triumphed. However, having served the WJC in a senior capacity for over thirty years, I am genuinely saddened that it was only after three years of ongoing scandal that the long overdue decision to dismiss a Jewish leader who had violated his fiduciary duties and misappropriated public funds was implemented. Moreover, even that took place under utterly chaotic circumstances.
Had our insistence three years ago that public funds be considered sacrosanct and our appeal for an independent audit been implemented, this scandal could have been entirely avoided. The WJC would not have been diverted from its mission by the devastating investigation of the New York Attorney General and squandered millions of dollars of public funds in futile efforts to cover up the improprieties.

To avert a total meltdown and ensure that democracy prevails, genuine elections must be held as soon as possible to select new leaders who are not tainted with the scandals and improprieties of the past. They must be committed to healing the divisions and reuniting the organization in a framework of good governance and genuine financial transparency capable of serving as a role model for all Jewish organizations. The WJC could then once again resume its leading global role dealing with the challenges facing the Jewish people during these troubled times.

Isi Leibler