"It's a statement of cooperation
and is similar to how we cooper-
ate with all Diaspora communi-
ties," said Malcolm Hoenlein,
executive vice president of the
group representing more than 50
national organizations. He said
the agreement was initiated by
Goussinsky at a meeting of the
Presidents Conference in Febru-
ary and, after several drafts, was
reported at a full conference meet-
ing in May.
But some of organized Jewry's
most prominent leaders say the
Presidents Conference and Na-
tional Conference on Soviet Jew-
ry acted behind their backs to
forge the unprecedented pact.
"The Presidents Conference
signed this agreement — on our
behalf — without any discussion
or consultation," said Abraham
Foxman, national director of the
Anti-Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith. "I don't think it's the busi-
ness of the conference to enter
agreements with umbrella orga-
nizations of Jewish communities
throughout the world without the
discussion and agreement of its
constituent agencies."
Phil Baum, executive director
of the American Jewish Congress,
said that "unhappily, I found out
about this only when someone else
sent me a copy of the agreement.
There was no clearance with me
on it."
Leaders of other constituent
members voiced similar com-
plaints. But Leon Levy, the im-
mediate past chairman of the
Presidents Conference, said he an-
nounced that "an exchange of let-
ters" had taken place between the
groups at the conference's gener-
al meeting on May 14. Carolyn
Greene, a Presidents Conference
staff member, said her own notes
of that meeting backed up Levy.
Six participants in the meeting
said they had no such recollection.
"I can't imagine I would not
have noted such an announce-
ment if I had heard it because the
subject is of some interest to my
agency," said Mark Seal, associ-
ate executive vice president of the
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Rabbi Mark Staitman, chair-
man of the National Conference
on Soviet Jewry, said his group
had informed its constituents
about the agreement at its June
meeting.
Levy, then chairman of the
Presidents Conference, and Rab-
bi Staitman signed their "letter of
cooperation" with Goussinsky in
New York on April 8, after about
a month of negotiations, accord-
ing to Moscow Chief Rabbi Pin-
chas Goldschmidt, a vice president
of the Russian Jewish Congress
who was involved in the process.
In a separate initiative, the
Russian Jewish Congress signed
an agreement at about the same
time with the World Jewish Con-
gress, signed by WJC Secretary
General Israel Singer and Rabbi
Goldschmidt.
The agreement with the WJC
is similar to the one with the Pres-
idents Conference and NCSJ, but
speaks also of coordinating joint
efforts for the restitution of Jew-
ish property in Europe and coop-
erating in interfaith relations.
Goussinsky, a banking and me-
dia mogul widely seen as one of
new Russia's most powerful men,
personally bankrolled and helped
manage much of Russian Presi-
dent Boris Yeltsin's come-from-
behind re-election last year. He is
tied closely to Moscow Mayor Yuri
Luzhkov and deeply immersed in
Russia's Byzantine, often dan-
gerous political intrigues.
Brought up with little knowl-
edge of his Jewish background,
Goussinsky emerged just last year
as the founder and prime sponsor
of the Russian Jewish Congress.
There was no
discussion or
consultation.
With plush, new headquarters
in Moscow's exclusive Radisson
Slavianskaya Hotel, the congress
is now seeking to gather under its
wing as much of the nascent com-
munity's organized activity as pos-
sible. It is also projecting itself as
Russian Jewry's representative,
a nonpartisan advocate in deal-
ings with the Russian government
and outside Jewish groups.
Alexander Osovtsov, a promi-
nent human-rights activist, is the
group's executive vice president.
Goussinsky's new role has
clearly boosted his stature in
Washington. In February, senior
administrations officials attend-
ed a Russian Jewish Congress din-
ner he presided over in the capital
honoring Russian Prime Minister
Victor Chernomyrdin.
During a recent Washington
visit, Goussinsky met with De-
mocratic Sens. Carl Levin of
Michigan, Frank Lautenberg of
New Jersey and Joseph Lieber-
man of Connecticut, along with
Republican Arlen Specter of Penn-
sylvania. The Middle East and
"rising anti-Semitism" were
among the topics discussed, said
Don Bonker, a former congress-
man who handles public relations
for Goussinsky in Washington.
But according to a Jewish offi-
cial who spoke on condition of
anonymity, Goussinsky's efforts
to meet with top State Depart-
ment officials were rebuffed due
to what one state official described
as his "checkered past." Asked
about this, Bonker said "no seri-
ous efforts" took place to arrange
such meetings.
The broadly-worded agree-
ments with three prestigious Di-
aspora groups may provide a
significant boost toward Goussin-
sky's goals.
The agreement with the Pres-
idents Conference and the NCSJ
contemplates "cooperation and
consultation on issues affecting
the Jewish communities in both
countries, including regularizing
the exchange of information and
fostering understanding regard-
ing our respective and common
agendas."
"In the past, Eastern European
[Jewish] bodies were completely
dependent on the West," said Rab-
bi Goldschmidt. "This is the first
time an independent body from
the East has signed such an agree-
ment as an independent body."
According to Rabbi Gold-
schmidt, who was involved in the
negotiations for both agreements,
one practical consequence will be
to influence the Presidents Con-
' ference's speaking invitations to
Russian politicians.
The Presidents Conference, he
noted, is a popular forum for
Russian politicians visiting Amer-
ica. "But some Russian politicians
have a selective, short memory.
They use anti-Semitism to gath-
er popular support [in Russia].
Then, in America, they become
philo-Semites."
Though the Russian Jewish
Congress professes strict non-
partisanship, Goussinsky himself
has been deeply involved in
bankrolling and supporting var-
ious Russian politicians — and
carrying on feuds with others. As
signatory to the understanding
with the Presidents Conference,
can he be trusted as a disinter-
ested consultant?
Such questions "probably would
have been discussed" if the con-
ference had informed and con-
sulted its members before signing
the letter, said the ADL's Foxman.
Martin Wenick, executive vice
president of the Hebrew Immi-
grant Aid Society and a former for-
eign service officer in Russia, said,
"On the one hand, Goussinsky is
head of one of the larger Jewish
groups there. On the other hand,
he does have vested interests in
some of the political activities
there. So there is a potential for
conflicts of interests."
David Harris, executive vice
president of the American Jewish
Committee, voiced concern about
the broad, open-ended wording of
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