Australia at the WJC
The president of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Robert Goot is also Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress and has chaired the substantive portion of its Special Plenary being held is Buenos Aries.
Robert Goot addresses the WJC
A resolution was passed unanimously to enable Ronald Lauder to stand for a third term as President of the WJC at its Plenary Assembly in New York in 2017.
President Ronald Lauder spoke about the priorities of the Jewish world being: 1. Defending Israel at the UN, 3. Countering BDS (particularly on campus) as an expression of antisemitism 3. Security of Jewish communities.
Australian ambassador to Argentina Noel Campbell at the embassy ECAJ public affairs director Alex Ryvchin
He referred to three incidents as an example of serious attacks on Israel’s legitimacy and successful interventions by the WJC to achieve a satisfactory outcome: Failed attempt to expel Israel from FIFA; Orange’s CEO announcing his desire to withdraw business from Israel and the issuing a backdown and apology; Matisyahu’s ban from Spanish reggae festival for refusal to condemn Israel followed by his reinstatement and successful performance.
Lauder gave special mention to the Jewish Diplomatic Corps (JDC), the WJC’s flagship program, a network of outstanding Jewish professionals engaged in diplomacy and public policy on behalf of the Jewish people. Lauder described the JDC as the “future of world Jewish leadership”.
Alex Ryvchin was the sole Australian member of the JDC and led a delegation of Jewish Diplomats at a meeting with the Australian Ambassador to Argentina, Noel Campbell yesterday which urged the Ambassador to help in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the AMIA bombing in 1994 and for the murdered special prosecutor, Alberto Nisman. The delegation also raised the recent stabbing murder of a Jew in Uruguay (the Ambassador is also responsible for Uruguay and Paraguay).
Goot concluded theWJC session by referring to the decision to allow Lauder to stand again as “a wonderful decision of the WJC, which has the honour and privilege of being led by such an extraordinary human being.”
The WJC Assembly consists of 302 delegates representing peak Jewish community organisations around the world, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, which has 5 delegates to the WJC. Ryvchin joined Robert Goot in attending as a voting delegate on behalf of the Australian Jewish community.
The Plenary was then addressed by the President of Paraguay who conveyed in deeply moving terms his heartfelt support for Israel and the Jewish people.
Robert Goot is also Chair of the WJC Credentials Commission.
