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he challenges by the
Reform and Conservative
movements to the status
quo in the Agency and
WZO have had the effect
of bringing to the surface
all sorts of inconsistencies in the funding
policies of the Agency. For example, these
movements asked that Agency funds for
their programs be channeled through their
own organizations, just as the Agency does
for Israeli political parties and other
bodies, only to be told that "we don't do
this sort of thing anymore." When they
pressed the Agency to explain why others
were still getting allocations in this direct
form, they were told that "we are obligated
by past agreements."
These inconsistencies apply mostly to
the Agency, because it has at least made
some efforts in recent years to put its
policies in greater order. The same cannot
be said for the WZO, however, where inertia
and political influence are still the main
"criteria" for cutting up the budgetary
cake. One can have inconsistencies only
where there are systematic substantive
criteria to deviate from, which does not
hold in the case of the WZO.
The Board of Governors recently set up
a Guidelines Committee to examine the
allocations made each year "to a very
broad variety of bodies and institutions
which [are not reviewed by] the Board, nor
are there criteria for these allocations,"
which amount to about $6 million a year.
Most of these allocations appear in the
Agency budget under the innocuous cate-
gories of "activities through other organi-
zations" and "allocations to institutions,"
but the recipients are not specified in the
published budget boOk. Internal Agency
documents show, however, that the second
category includes over 50 cultural, educa-
tional and welfare institutions, some of
them connected to political parties.
The first category includes the "con-
structive funds" that go to institutions
controlled by political parties, and which
ostensibly serve Agency goals such as im-
migrant absorption, settlement and youth
care The breakdown of these allocations
for 1984 shows that the largest amount,
about $1.15 million, goes to an assortment
of institutions connected with the National
Religious Party, some of which receive sup-
port from other sources in the Agency.
Close to $370,000 goes to the General
Zionists (Liberal Party), $445,000 goes to
the Confederation, $389,000 to the lel Hai
Fund of Herut, $280,000 to the Labor
Zionist Movement, and $42,000 to the so-
cialist Map am party.
The ultra-Orthodox non-Zionist parties
of Agudat Israel and Poalei Agudat Israel

received $183,000 and $173,000 respective-
ly in 1983/84, but haven't since then
because they did not submit reports doc-
umenting how these funds were spent.
Neither of these parties belongs to or sup-
ports the Agency and WZO campaigns
abroad, but they received allocations as
part of past government coalition deals.

"What I won't accept is
that people who live
abroad think they have
the right to tell us what
to do," says a Jewish
Agency spokesman.

Lewinsky explained that most of the
allocations for the "constructive funds"
stem from the early 1950s when they were
provided as compensation to parties that
agreed not to hold fund-raising campaigns
abroad that would compete with the
general campaign for the Agency. He said
that the funds were supposed to be used
for educational or social purposes, but con-
ceded that in Israel it is hard to separate
these activities from political work.
Most if not all of the recipients of these
allocations, however, conduct independent
fund-raising campaigns abroad today, and
have not had their allocations withheld for
this reason: For example, the organization
that receives the largest single allocation,
$550,000, the National Religious Women's
Movement (Emunah), also receives support
for its programs from other Agency
sources such as the Youth Aliya Depart-
ment. It is also permitted to receive ear-
marked contributions from abroad via the
Agency and to conduct an independent
fund-raising campaign abroad, by means
of its affiliates such as Amit (American
Mizrahi-Women). The other women's Zion-
ist organizations such as Hadassah and
Na'amat (Pioneer Women) are also allowed
to conduct separate fund-raising cam-
paigns for projects in Israel, some of which
also. get Agency funding.

hen the United Israel Ap-
peal is queried by American
Jews who are concerned
about the complaints of
the Reform and Conserva-
tive movements, it stresses
the official line that the Agency "does not
fund institutions, as such. Rather, services
are provided to individuals irrespective of
their religious orientation." This quotation
is taken from a widely-circulated memo of
February 8, 1984 from UIA Executive Vice
Chairman Irving Kessler. He singles out
Youth Aliya as typical of an Agency "ser-
vice to individuals," but ignores the fact

Where Do All Our Dollars Go?

36

Friday, June 20, 1986

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

