The election had originally been scheduled for today, but was pushed off until the end of next week. It is generally accepted that the representative of Israel's ruling party takes over the helm of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization.
The official candidate of the Likud Party will be Natan Sharansky, in accordance with a party decision this past Sunday and a Jerusalem District Court ruling of this morning.
The court ruling was necessitated because two days ago, Prime Minister Sharon angered many party members by circumventing them and proposing his own candidate: Raanana Mayor Zev Bielski. To this end, he asked the Reform and Conservative movements in the World Likud Organization to support Bielski - and they answered the call.
Some World Likud members took Sharon to court, claiming he had overstepped his bounds. The court agreed, ruling this morning that Sharansky is in fact the Likud's candidate. The court did not accept the petitioners' request to order Sharon to stop promoting Bielski's candidacy.
Sharansky (pictured), who spent nine years in Soviet prison - including eight years in Siberia - for his Zionist activities, resigned as government minister last month in protest of the disengagement plan.
Candidates for the position of Jewish Agency chief must be members of the Zionist Executive. Sharansky will join the body upon outgoing chairman Salai Meridor's resignation, which will take effect next Thursday. Bielski, too, sought someone who would resign on his behalf, but no one from the Reform or Conservative movements would do so. Finally, Herut Party member Moti Ohana was convinced to quit, and Bielski will take his place.
The election, which will be a test of Sharon's strength in the World Likud body, is expected to be held next Thursday or Friday.
The official candidate of the Likud Party will be Natan Sharansky, in accordance with a party decision this past Sunday and a Jerusalem District Court ruling of this morning.
The court ruling was necessitated because two days ago, Prime Minister Sharon angered many party members by circumventing them and proposing his own candidate: Raanana Mayor Zev Bielski. To this end, he asked the Reform and Conservative movements in the World Likud Organization to support Bielski - and they answered the call.
Some World Likud members took Sharon to court, claiming he had overstepped his bounds. The court agreed, ruling this morning that Sharansky is in fact the Likud's candidate. The court did not accept the petitioners' request to order Sharon to stop promoting Bielski's candidacy.
Sharansky (pictured), who spent nine years in Soviet prison - including eight years in Siberia - for his Zionist activities, resigned as government minister last month in protest of the disengagement plan.
Candidates for the position of Jewish Agency chief must be members of the Zionist Executive. Sharansky will join the body upon outgoing chairman Salai Meridor's resignation, which will take effect next Thursday. Bielski, too, sought someone who would resign on his behalf, but no one from the Reform or Conservative movements would do so. Finally, Herut Party member Moti Ohana was convinced to quit, and Bielski will take his place.
The election, which will be a test of Sharon's strength in the World Likud body, is expected to be held next Thursday or Friday.