(IsraelNationalNews.com) A group of leading international and Israeli experts in policy planning is meeting this week in Israel to examine the need and feasibility of policy planning for the Jewish People.
The initiative, which is managed by the Jewish Agency, is based on the synergy of senior planners of different countries, their Israeli colleagues, experts from academia and from Jewish communities throughout the world.
Leading the initiative, professionally, is former US special envoy to the Oslo process Ambassador Dennis Ross, who had been in charge of political planning for the State Department. Other figures involved in the project include Harley Frankel, former senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, the Dutch senator Uriel Rosenthal, Mr. Stephen Hoffman, CEO of the United Jewish Communities, Prof. Art Naparstek, Israel and Overseas Director of the UJC and Norman Spector, former Secretary of the Government of Canada and former Ambassador of Canada to Israel.
Professor Yechezkel Dror is leading the initiative in Israel. Israeli participants include Advocate Yitzhak Molcho, head of the negotiating team under Netanyahu’s tenure, Oded Eran, who had headed Israel’s delegation to the talks with the PA during Barak’s government, Dr. Uzi Arad, Dr, Yossi Vardi, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilboa and others.
Avinoam Bar-Yosef, project director for the Jewish Agency, said that participants in the retreat would examine not only feasibility, but also different ways of implementing a suitable framework.
Upon the conclusion of their workshop, the participants will report their findings to a leadership group headed by Jewish Agency Chairman, Sallai Meridor, Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Diaspora Affairs, Natan Sharansky, Heads of the Knesset Aliyah and Education Committee, Tzvi Hendel and Zevulun Orlev, and Jewish Agency Treasurer Chaim Chesler.
The initiative, which is managed by the Jewish Agency, is based on the synergy of senior planners of different countries, their Israeli colleagues, experts from academia and from Jewish communities throughout the world.
Leading the initiative, professionally, is former US special envoy to the Oslo process Ambassador Dennis Ross, who had been in charge of political planning for the State Department. Other figures involved in the project include Harley Frankel, former senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, the Dutch senator Uriel Rosenthal, Mr. Stephen Hoffman, CEO of the United Jewish Communities, Prof. Art Naparstek, Israel and Overseas Director of the UJC and Norman Spector, former Secretary of the Government of Canada and former Ambassador of Canada to Israel.
Professor Yechezkel Dror is leading the initiative in Israel. Israeli participants include Advocate Yitzhak Molcho, head of the negotiating team under Netanyahu’s tenure, Oded Eran, who had headed Israel’s delegation to the talks with the PA during Barak’s government, Dr. Uzi Arad, Dr, Yossi Vardi, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilboa and others.
Avinoam Bar-Yosef, project director for the Jewish Agency, said that participants in the retreat would examine not only feasibility, but also different ways of implementing a suitable framework.
Upon the conclusion of their workshop, the participants will report their findings to a leadership group headed by Jewish Agency Chairman, Sallai Meridor, Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Diaspora Affairs, Natan Sharansky, Heads of the Knesset Aliyah and Education Committee, Tzvi Hendel and Zevulun Orlev, and Jewish Agency Treasurer Chaim Chesler.