Jewish Agency headquarters, Jerusalem

The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI, Hebrew: הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el, Sochnut) serves as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into Israel,^[1] and works with Jewish people inside and outside Israel to ensure the future of a connected, committed, global Jewish people with a strong Israel at its center.

Jewish Agency building, Tel Aviv

History[link]

The Zionist Organisation (ZO) founded the Palestine Bureau (also known as "Eretz Yisrael Office") in Jaffa in 1908, under Arthur Ruppin, and began to adopt a systematic effort to buy and settle land^[2] in Ottoman Palestine.

Following the promulgation of the pro-Zionist Balfour Declaration of 1917, Chaim Weizmann, president of the British Zionist Federation^[3] formed the Zionist Commission in March 1918 to go to Palestine and make recommendations to the British government. The Commission reached Palestine on 14 April 1918 and proceeded to study conditions and to report to the British government,^[4] and was active in promoting Zionist objectives in Palestine. Weizmann was instrumental in restructuring the ZO's Palestine office into departments for agriculture, settlement, education, land, finance, immigration, and statistics.

On 19 April 1920, elections were held for the Assembly of Representatives of the Palestinian Jewish community.^[5]

On 25 April 1920, the Principal Allied Powers agreed at the San Remo conference to allocate the Ottoman territories to the victorious powers and assigned Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq as Mandates to Britain, with the Balfour Declaration being incorporated into the Palestine Mandate. The League of Nations formally approved these mandates in 1922.^[5] Article 4 of the Mandate provided for "the recognition of an appropriate Jewish Agency as a public body for the purpose of advising and co-operating with the Administration of Palestine in such economic, social and other matters as may affect the establishment of the Jewish National Home and the interests of the Jewish population of Palestine."^[6] The ZO leaders had contributed to the drafting of the Mandate.^[7] In 1921, the Zionist Commission became the Palestine Zionist Executive and was designated as the Jewish Agency for Palestine for the purpose of Article 4 of the Palestine Mandate.^[8]

The Palestine Zionist Executive was charged with facilitating Jewish immigration to Palestine, land purchase and planning the general policies of the Zionist leadership. It ran schools and hospitals, and formed a defence force, the Haganah. Chaim Weizmann was the leader of both the Zionist Organisation and the Palestine Zionist Executive until 1929. The arrangement enabled the Zionist Organisation to issue entry permits to new immigrants.^[9]

Jewish Agency for Palestine[link]

In 1929, the Jewish Agency for Palestine was officially created by the 16th Zionist Congress, held in Zurich. The new body was larger and included a number of Jewish non-Zionist individuals and organisations, who were interested in Jewish settlement in Palestine. They were philanthropic rather than political and many opposed talk of a Jewish State.^[10] There was strong opposition within WZO when the idea of enlargement was first raised in 1924 and it was only accepted by the Zionist Congress in 1927.^[11] It was Chaim Weizmann's initiative and was established on the principle of parity between Zionists and non-Zionists working together in the building of a Jewish national home.^[12] Those participating included Sholem Asch, H.N. Bialik, Léon Blum, Albert Einstein, Immanuel Löw, Lord Melchett and Herbert Samuel.^[13] American non-Zionists received 44 of the 112 seats allotted to non-Zionists.^[14] The British Board of Deputies joined as a constituent body.^[15]Weizmann was criticized for being too pro-British. When the 1930 White Paper was published recommending restricting Jewish immigration his position became untenable and he resigned from the Jewish Agency and in 1931 Nahum Sokolow was elected President, as well as President of the Zionist Organisation. Arthur Ruppin became President of the Jewish Agency in 1933 and David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Shertok joined the executive. In 1935, Ben-Gurion was elected President of the Agency to succeed Ruppin.

In 1937 The Peel Commission published its report into the disturbances of the year before. For the first time partition and the setting up of a Jewish State was recommended. The 1937 Zionist Congress declined to endorse the Commission's conclusions, a majority insisting that the Balfour Declaration referred to all of Palestine and Transjordan, but the executive was authorized to continue exploring what the "precise terms" were. This decision revealed differences within the Jewish Agency, with the non-Zionists disagreeing with the decision and some calling for a conference of Jews and Arabs.^[16]

The Jewish Agency was raided by British troops in 1946 under Operation Agatha in retaliation for a number of attacks against British forces, however the Haganah did not attack British forces directly. These were largely carried out by Etzel, better known as the Irgun. The Jerusalem headquarters of the Jewish Agency was bombed by agents of the Grand Mufti Haj Mohammed Amin al-Husseini in early 1948, with great loss of life. During the subsequent siege, the Agency moved its headquarters to Tel Aviv.

In 1947 the last non-Zionist member of the Jewish Agency, Wemer Senator, resigned and the Agency and the WZO once again became unified.^[12] The Jewish Agency Executive comprised David Ben-Gurion, as chairman, and Rabbi Yehuda Leib Maimon and Yitzhak Gruenbaum. On May 14, 1948, the Jewish Agency for Palestine, under its leader David Ben-Gurion, became the Provisional government of Israel.

In 1921 Jabotinsky was elected to the Executive but he resigned in 1923 accusing Weizmann of not being vigorous enough with the Mandatory Government.^[17] Other issues between the Revisionists and the Agency were the distribution of entry permits, Weizmann's support for the Zionist Labour Movement and the proposal to expand the Agency. The Revisionist broke completely with Agency in 1935, but rejoined WZO in 1947.^[18] In 1951 the WZO/JA included all factions except Herut.^[19]

Jewish Agency for Israel[link]

Maabara housing for new immigrants, 1950

Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the government created the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) to facilitate economic development and the absorption of immigrants. In 1952 the "Law on the Status of the WZO and the Jewish Agency - 5713" was passed formalizing the roles of each group. In June 1968 the Ministry for Absorption was created, taking over some aspects of immigration from WZO/JA.^[20]Since 1948, the Jewish Agency for Israel has been responsible for bringing 3 million immigrants to Israel. New immigrants are accommodated in one of 32 absorption centers across Israel. There they receive vocational training and go through an acculturation process. Most of the olim, or new immigrants, in absorptions centers are from Ethiopia. One of the most significant projects to bring Ethiopians to Israel was through Operation Solomon. Since there are fewer Jewish communities at-risk in the diaspora, the Jewish Agency is focusing on aliyah of choice. Staff are working closely with youth and religious movements to encourage immigration to Israel.^[21] The organization was also instrumental in bringing over 1 million Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel.^{[citation needed]}Though the emphasis of the Jewish Agency's work has been on aliyah, or immigration to Israel, in the past decade the Jewish Agency has made a significant impact in two other strategic areas: Jewish-Zionist Education and Partnerships in Israel.^{[citation needed]}

The Jewish Agency has a continuum of programming to bring Israel to local worldwide Jewish communities. To some degree this is done through shlichim, or emissaries. Shlichim are Israeli educators, cultural ambassadors, who spend an extended period of time abroad to bring Israel to the community. You can also find shlichim on U.S. college campuses in organizations like Hillel or active in youth organizations. Other programs that are instrumental in instilling Israel in youth is Birthright Israel, a short-term Israel experience. The Jewish Agency is the largest organizational partners in this initiative. Most recently, Masa Israel Journey was created as a follow up program to Taglit-Birthright Israel. Masa Israel is in partnership with the Israeli government and provides stipends to young people between the ages of 18–30 who would like to go on a long-term Israel experience. This project was envisioned by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Israel department programs focus on strengthening Israel's periphery, namely the Galilee region in the north and the Negev in the South. The emergence of the high tech industry in Israel has created a significant socio-economic disparity between the center of country and the outer regions. Thus, the Jewish Agency has programs to lessen the gap. For instance, Youth Futures, is a holistic approach to dealing with at-risk youth in Israel. A child is connected to a trustee who is responsible for connecting the child to resources and community services. Another flagship program is Net@, a program that is supported by Cisco Systems. Program participants are high performers who are given the opportunity to rise above their families' socio-economic background by getting the Cisco International Certification. The program is in addition to the participants' high school course load and increases their English comprehension skills.

At the February 2010 Board of Governors meeting, Natan Sharansky announced that a shift in the priorities of the Jewish Agency from aliyah to strengthening Jewish identity for young adults around the world.^[22]

The Jewish Agency for Israel's headquarters is located in Jerusalem, but there are also satellite sites worldwide. The Jewish Agency for Israel North America, which is currently headed by Misha Galperin, is the organization's main fundraising arm in North America, and is a registered 501(c)(3).^[23]

Awards and recognition[link]

On May 8, 2008, at the 60th Independence Day celebration, the Jewish Agency for Israel was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society and the State of Israel.^[24][25]

Leadership[link]

Pre-state leadership[link]

• Bianchini – 1921
• M. D. Eder – 1922
• Lt. Col. F.H. Kisch – 1922–31
• Chaim Arlosoroff – 1931–33
• Moshe Shertok – 1933–48^[26]
• Arthur Ruppin – 1933–35
• David Ben-Gurion – 1935–48

Leadership after 1948[link]

• Berl Locker – 1948–56
• Zalman Shazar – 1956–61
• Moshe Sharet – 1961–65
• Arie Lous Pincus – 1965–73
• Pinhas Sapir – 1974–75
• Yosef Almogi 1974–75
• Aryeh Dolchin – 1978–87
• Simha Dinitz – 1987–94
• Avraham Burg – 1995–99
• Sallai Meridor – 1999–05
• Ze'ev Bielski – 2005–09
• Natan Sharansky – 2009–

Natan Sharansky was elected chairman on June 25, 2009.^[27] The position was previously held by Zeev Bielski who left to become a member of Knesset with the Kadima party following the 2009 Israeli election. Before that Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, held the position.

Since June 2007, Richard Pearlstone^[28] has been the Chair of the Jewish Agency BOG, following Carole Solomon's leadership^[29] Moshe Vigdor serves in the capacity of the organization's director general.^[30] Moshe Vigdor announced his resignation in December 2009.^[31] On March 1, 2010 Alan Hoffman, Director General of the Jewish Agency Education Department, was named as Moshe Vigdor's replacement.^[32] Alan Hoffman is the first immigrant to hold that position at the Jewish Agency.

Alan Hoffman, Jewish Agency Director General

The Board of Governors determines the policy of the Jewish Agency for Israel and manages, supervises, controls and directs its operations and activities. All bodies (other than the Assembly), officers and officials of the Jewish Agency act within the policies set by the Assembly and Board of Governors and are accountable to the Board of Governors. Between meetings of the Assembly, the Board of Governors has full power to act for the Agency and may fix policy, provided that its acts and decisions are not inconsistent with previous decisions or instructions of the Assembly.

The Board of Governors has up to 120 members divided as follows: 50% World Zionist Organization, 30% United Israel Appeal, Inc., (UIA) and Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), formerly UJC, 20% Keren Hayesod.

The Board of Governors meets three times a year at the Jewish Agency headquarters located in Jerusalem.

Funding sources[link]

The Jewish Agency is supported by the Government of Israel; founding constituent partners: Keren Hayesod, Jewish Federations of North America, and Jewish federations throughout the world; Primary funders: Keren Hayesod, United Jewish Communities and major Jewish federations in North America, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The Jewish Agency is also supported by donor contributions from throughout the world including Israel, where a growing number of philanthropists have joined through the Spirit of Israel Campaign to support the organizations projects and sit on the Board of Governors.

Due to the volatile U.S. dollar, the global economic crisis and the Madoff scandal, the Jewish Agency for Israel has been forced to make significant cuts to its budget. The Board of Governors voted to cut $45 million in November 2008 and an additional $26 million at the February 2009 meeting.^[33]

Responding in crisis[link]

As a response during the 2006 Lebanon War. The Jewish Agency (through $302 million from UJC and Federation partners) responded with the following:^{[citation needed]}:

• Moving 50,000 children from the north to 50 residential camps, established in response to the emergency situation
• 12,000 children went to day JAFI-equipped summer camps held in community centers
• 2,100 new immigrants were moved to safety after the Katushas hit a number of absorption centers.
• 2,700 bomb shelter kits were distributed

The Jewish Agency has taken on a significant role in rebuilding the entire northern region. It established the micro-business loan fund to help boost the local economy. In addition, the Israel Discount Bank has partnered with the Jewish Agency by providing matching funds for capital projects there.

Another example, is the Jewish Agency's role in supporting Sderot and the surrounding area, which has been hit hard with Kassam missiles from Gaza. Here are some key examples:^[34]

• More than 12,000 children enjoyed respite activities in the center and north of the country
• 300 educators were trained to work with children living through the trauma
• Supplemental educational activities were offered to more than 2,000 students
• The S.O.S. Emergency Fund for Victims of Terror helped more than 200 people whose lives have been directly affected by the Kassam attacks
• 100 bomb shelters are being renovated in the region
• 500 students are studying in the Sapir Regional College (near Sderot) with scholarships to ensure their academic continuity and the college's continued operation

Jewish People Policy Planning Institute[link]

The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute was established in 2002 by the Jewish Agency for Israel as an independent professional policy planning think tank to promote the identity, culture, prosperity, and continuity of the Jewish People. Every year, Jewish leaders participate in JPPPI's conferences and meetings that forecast the Jewish condition. Participants have included Dennis Ross, Shimon Peres, Natan Sharansky, Malcolm Hoenlein, Tzipi Livni. The Institute conducts meetings, publishes reports and position papers, and produces contingency plans that help the development of Jewish communities around the world.^[35]

See also[link]

• List of Israel Prize recipients

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Jewish Agency Website
• Jewish People Policy Planning Institute Official Website
• Masa Israel Journey Official Website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2009)

Paolo Barnard (1958) is an Italian journalist and documentary maker.

Biography[link]

Born in Bologna, Italy, after his Master Degree in Psychology, he began his media career at RAI TV program Samarcanda. He later was co-founder of popular program Report for RAI TRE then he moved to Rai Educational.^[1][2]

He was correspondent for the main Italian newspapers such as la La Stampa, Il Manifesto, Corriere della Sera, Il Mattino, La Repubblica, etc.

As an author he has written books on terrorism in the Middle East conflicts and the health system in Italy.^[3]

In 2011, Barnard has been concerned with monetary fundaments of the present economical crisis, especially in Italy. His discoveries, published on Barnard's website, led to the organization of the first italian meeting on Modern Money Theory, held on february 25th-27th, 2012 in Rimini.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Paolo Barnard on Report (RAI Tv)
• Paolo Barnard on ArcoirisTV
• Paolo Barnard on youtube.com Palestine-Israel: the missing narrative

This article about an Italian writer or poet is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a European journalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Natan Sharansky
Date of birth	(1948-01-20) 20 January 1948 (age 64)
Place of birth	Stalino, Soviet Union
Year of aliyah	1986
Knessets	14th, 15th, 16th, 17th
Party	Likud
Former parties	Yisrael BaAliyah
Ministerial posts (current in bold)	Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Industry and Trade Minister of Internal Affairs Minister of Housing & Construction Minister of Jerusalem Affairs

Natan Sharansky (born 20 January 1948) (Hebrew: נתן שרנסקי‎, (Ukrainian: Натан Щаранський, Russian: Натан Щаранский) is a former Soviet refusenik and prisoner, Israeli politician, human rights activist and author.

Biography[link]

Anatoly Borisovich Shcharansky (Ukrainian: Анатолій Борисович Щаранський, Russian: Анатолий Борисович Щаранский) (later Natan Sharansky) was born in Stalino, Soviet Union on 20 January 1948 to a Jewish family. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a child, he was a chess prodigy. He performed in simultaneous and blindfold displays, usually against adults. At the age of 15, he won the championship in his native Donetsk.^[1] When incarcerated in solitary confinement, he claims to have maintained his sanity by playing chess against himself in his mind. Sharansky beat the world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a simultaneous exhibition in Israel in 1996.^[1]

Natan Sharansky is married to Avital Sharansky and has two daughters, Rachel and Hannah. In the Soviet Union, his marriage application to Avital was denied by the authorities.^[2] They were married in a Moscow synagogue in a ceremony not recognized by the government, as USSR only recognized civil marriage and not church marriage.

Political activism[link]

Sharansky was denied an exit visa to Israel in 1973. The reason given for denial of the visa was that he had been given access, at some point in his career, to information vital to Soviet national security and could not now be allowed to leave. After that Sharansky became a human rights activist and spokesperson for the Moscow Helsinki Group. Sharansky was one of the founders of the Refusenik movement in Moscow. In 1977 Sharansky was arrested on charges of spying for the United States and treason and sentenced to 13 years of forced labor in Perm 35, a Siberian labor camp (Gulag).

As a result of an international campaign led by his wife, Avital Sharansky (including assistance from East German lawyer Wolfgang Vogel, New York Congressman Benjamin Gilman and rabbi Ronald Greenwald) Sharansky and three low-level Western spies (Czech citizen Jaroslav Javorský and West German citizens Wolf-Georg Frohn and Dietrich Nistroy) were exchanged for Czech spies Karl Koecher and Hana Koecher held in the USA, Soviet spy Yevgeni Zemlyakov, Polish spy Jerzy Kaczmarek and East German spy Detlef Scharfenorth (the latter three held in West Germany) in 1986 on Glienicke Bridge.^[3][4] Sharansky was released in February 1986. He was the first political prisoner ever released by Mikhail Gorbachev due to intense political pressure from Ronald Reagan.^{[citation needed]}

Sharansky immediately made aliyah to Israel, i.e. emigrated to Israel, adopting the Hebrew name Natan. In 1988, he wrote Fear No Evil, his memoirs of his time as a prisoner, and founded the Zionist Forum, an organization of Soviet emigrant Jewish activists dedicated to helping new Israelis and educating the public about absorption issues. Sharansky also served as a contributing editor to The Jerusalem Report and as a Board member of Peace Watch. In 1986, Congress granted him the Congressional Gold Medal.^[5] In 2006 US President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom,^[6] which the The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy denounced as the celebration of a racist.^[7] On 17 September 2008,the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation awarded Sharansky its 2008 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award.^[8]

Israeli political career[link]

Sharansky and Ronald Reagan, 1986

In 1995 Sharansky and Yoel Edelstein founded the Yisrael BaAliyah ("Israel in aliya", or a pun, "Israel on the rise") party, promoting the absorption of the Soviet Jews into Israeli society. The party won seven Knesset seats in 1996.^[9] It won 6 seats in the Israeli legislative election, 1999, gaining two ministerial posts, but left the government on 11 July 2000 in response to suggestions that Prime Minister Ehud Barak's negiotations with the Palestinians would result in a division of Jerusalem. After Ariel Sharon won a special election for Prime Minister in 2001, the party joined his new government, and was again given two ministerial posts.^[10]

In the January 2003 elections the party was reduced to just two seats. Sharansky resigned from the Knesset, and was replaced by Edelstein. However, he remained party chairman, and decided to merge it into Likud (which had won the election with 38 seats). The merger went through on 10 March 2003,^[11] and Sharansky was appointed Minister of Jerusalem Affairs.

From March 2003 – May 2005, he was Israel's Minister without Portfolio, responsible for Jerusalem, social and Jewish diaspora affairs. Under this position Sharansky chaired a secret committee that approved the confiscation of East Jerusalem property of West Bank Palestinians. This decision was reversed after an outcry from the Israeli left and the international community.^[12] Previously he served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Minister of Housing and Construction since March 2001, Interior Minister of Israel (July 1999 – resigned in July 2000), Minister of Industry and Trade (1996–1999). He resigned from the cabinet in April 2005 to protest plans to withdraw Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. He was re-elected to the Knesset in March 2006 as a member of the Likud Party. On 20 November 2006, he resigned from the Knesset to form the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies.^[13] Since 2007, Sharansky has been Chairman of the Board of Beit Hatefutsot, the Jewish diaspora museum,^[14] and since June 2009 is the chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

NGO work[link]

In June 2009 Sharansky was elected to the Chair of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel by the Jewish Agency Board of Governors.^[15] In September 2009 Sharansky secured $6 million from the Genesis Philanthropy Group for educational activities in the former Soviet Union.^[16]

Media recognition and awards[link]

Before his rise to power in Israel, Sharansky appeared in the March 1990 edition of National Geographic in Mike Edward's article "Last Days of the Gulag". In the article he describes his life in the Soviet prison system and is shown in Israel looking at photos of the Gulag taken for the article. In 2005, Sharansky participated in "They Chose Freedom", a four-part television documentary on the history of the Soviet dissident movement, and in 2008 he was featured in the Laura Bialis documentary Refusenik. He was number eleven on the list of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2005 in the "Scientists and thinkers" category.^[17]

Published works[link]

Natan Sharansky, 2007

Sharansky is the author of three books. The first is the autobiographical Fear No Evil, which dealt with his trial and imprisonment. His second book, "The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror" was co-written with Ron Dermer. George W. Bush offered praise for the book:

"If you want a glimpse of how I think about foreign policy, read Natan Sharansky's book, The Case for Democracy... For government, particularly – for opinion makers, I would put it on your recommended reading list. It's short and it's good. This guy is a heroic figure, as you know. It's a great book."^[18][19]

His book Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy, is a defense of the value of national and religious identity in building democracy.^[20]

Political views[link]

Sharansky and Vladimir Putin

Sharansky has argued that there can never be peace between Israel and the Palestinians until there is "the building of real democratic institutions in the fledgling Palestinian society, no matter how tempting a 'solution' without them may be."^[21] In a Haaretz interview, he maintained the “Jews came here 3,000 years ago and this is the cradle of Jewish civilization. Jews are the only people in history who kept their loyalty to their identity and their land throughout the 2,000 years of exile, and no doubt that they have the right to have their place among nations—not only historically but also geographically. As to the Palestinians, who are the descendants of those Arabs who migrated in the last 200 years, they have the right, if they want, to have their own state... but not at the expense of the state of Israel.”^[22] In the wake of the Arab uprisings of 2011, he told Moment Magazine, "To sign an agreement you must have a partner who is dependent on the well-being of his people, which is what democracy means."^[23]

See also[link]

• Refusenik (2008 film)
• New anti-Semitism
• Refusenik (Soviet Union)
• Gulag
• List of people who have beaten Garry Kasparov in chess

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Fear No Evil: The Classic Memoir of One Man's Triumph over a Police State, Public Affairs: 1998. ISBN 1-891620-02-9.
• The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, Public Affairs: 2004. ISBN 1-58648-261-0.
• Defending Identity: Its Indisputable Role in Protecting Democracy, Public Affairs: 2008. ISBN 1-58648-513-X.
• The Real Russia Problem, September 2008.
• The Political Legacy of Theodor Herzl, essay in Azure magazine.
• The Jewish State: The Next 50 Years, essay in Azure magazine.
• Save Gaza by Destroying the Heart of Terror, January 2009

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Natan Sharansky

• Natan Sharansky Knesset website
• Natan Sharansky Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Natan Sharansky Jewish Virtual Library
• The View from the Gulag. An interview with Natan Sharansky
• Natan Sharansky on Leadel.NET Interview, Up Close and Personal with Natan Sharansky
• Sharansky's Final Statement in the Soviet Court, 14 July 1978
• Autobiographical article about his time in the GULAG Solitary Lessons October 2008.
• Natan Sharansky short speech on The Strength of a United Jewish People
• Mr. Sharansky, ease my doubts, by Martin Kramer
• Sharansky Interview in Middle East Quarterly
• Sharansky Interview on BookTV's After Words (13 February 2005)
• Sharansky's Double Standard by Michael C. Desch, The American Conservative, 28 March 2005.
• Anti-Semitism in 3D (Jerusalem Post) 23 February 2004
• Natan Sharansky Right Web Profile
• Natan Sharansky Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies
• Is This the Deal We Were Hoping For? February, 2009.
• How the U.N. Perpetuates the 'Refugee' Problem (Wall Street Journal) 6 January 2009
• Sharansky's views about the Temple Mount (Haaretz) 16 October 2003

v t e Housing and Construction Ministers of Israel Yoseftal (1961–62) Almogi (1962–65) Eshkol (1965–66) Bentov (1966–69) Sherf (1969–74) Rabinovitz (1974) Ofer (1974–77) Rosen (1977) Patt (1977–79) Levy (1979–90) Sharon (1990–92) Ben-Eliezer (1992–96) Netanyahu (1996–99) Levy (1999–2000) Ben-Eliezer (2000–01) Sharansky (2001–03) Eitam (2003–04) Livni (2004–05) Herzog (2005) Boim (2006) Sheetrit (2006–07) Boim (2007–09) Atias (2009–)

v t e Industry, Trade and Labour Ministers of Israel Bernstein (1948–49) Kaplan (1949–50) Geri (1950–51) Yosef (1951–52) Bernstein (1952–55) Naftali (1955) Sapir (1955–65) Zadok (1965–66) Sherf (1966–69) Sapir (1969–70) Sapir (1970–72) Bar-Lev (1972–77) Hurvitz (1977–78) Patt (1979–84) Sharon (1984–90) Nissim (1990–92) Harish (1992–96) Sharansky (1996–99) Cohen (1999–2000) Barak (2000–01) Itzik (2001–02) Sharon (2002–03) Olmert (2003–06) Yishai (2006–09) Ben-Eliezer (2009–11) Simhon (2011–)

v t e Internal Affairs Ministers of Israel Gruenbaum (1948–49) Shapira (1949–52) Rokach (1952–55) Shapira (1955) Bar-Yehuda (1955–59) Shapira (1959–70) Meir (1970) Burg (1970–74) Hillel (1974) Burg (1974–76) Hillel (1977) Burg (1977–84) Peres (1984) Peretz (1984–87) Shamir (1987–88) Deri (1988–93) Rabin (1993) Deri (1993) Rabin (1993–95) Baram (1995) Libai (1995) Barak (1995) Ramon (1995–96) Suissa (1996–99) Sharansky (1999–2000) Ramon (2000–01) Yishai (2001–02) Sharon (2002) Yishai (2002–03) Poraz (2003–04) Pines-Paz (2005) Sharon (2004–06) Bar-On (2006–07) Sheetrit (2007–09)) Yishai (from 2009)

National Zoo & Aquarium, Australia.

White Lion - Bratislava Zoo, Slovakia.

Adolescent white lion in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

White lion in Belgrade Zoo, Serbia.

The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare colour mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion (Panthera leo krugeri). It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world. White lions are not yet a separate subspecies and they have been said to be indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was 1938. Regarded as divine by locals,^[1] white lions first came to public attention in the 1970s in Chris McBride's book The White Lions of Timbavati. Up until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced to the wild, it was widely believed that the white lion could not survive in the wild. It is for this reason that, now, a large part of the population of white lions are in zoos. Another large part, however, are bred in camps, for canned hunting trophies.

It is hard to determine exactly how many white lions there are today, because they are held in captive breeding and hunting operations which don't keep adequate records. Based on available evidence, The Global White Lion Protection Trust estimate there are 500 White Lions world-wide.^[2]

White lions are not albinos. Their white colour is caused by a recessive gene known as the chutiya or color inhibitor gene, distinct from the albinism gene. They vary from blonde through near-white. This coloration, however, does not appear to disadvantage their survival. The white lions of the Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) have been reintroduced into their natural habitat and have been hunting and breeding successfully without human intervention for a significant amount of time. White lions in South Africa are currently being bred almost exclusively for hunting, but Linda Tucker (the founder of GWLP] and author of The Mystery of the White Lions) and her team are trying to change the South African hunting laws.^{[clarification needed]}

Breeding white lions[link]

The chinchilla mutation, a recessive gene, gives white lions their unusual colors. A similar gene also produces white tigers. White lions can therefore be selectively bred for zoos, animal shows and wildlife park. Such breeding involves inbreeding of close relatives and can result in inbreeding depression (genetic defects, reduced fertility, and physical defects) although this has not yet been recorded in white lions in zoos as it has been in white tigers. According to Tucker, white lions in canned hunt camps have been found to have hind-limb paralysis and serious heart defects, indicating a severe level of inbreeding involved in mass-production although they are rare in the wild. People are concerned about the White Lions mating with other lions of other alleles, because of possible extinction of the white lion. However, this is not valid as the offspring will inherit the white gene and therefore make it possible to produce white offspring in a later generation. Some critics maintain that white lions should not be introduced in to the wild because of the inbreeding that has taken place over zoos and breeding camps. However, ethical reintroduction programs such as The Global White Lion Protection Trust have ensured through the use of scientific methodologies that the lions in their program are not inbred.

White Lion cub at Kromdraai, South Africa

Kruger and Umfolozi white lions[link]

In 1979, three litters containing white lions were recorded in Kruger National Park. In March, a female lion with three white cubs was observed near Tshokwane. In September, three white cubs (from two different lionesses) were seen. Another litter of white female cubs was captured from Kruger National Park and treated for sarcoptic mange. A white lion was observed in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in Zululand.

White lions of unknown ancestry[link]

• A white lion breeding program is currently underway at Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
• Four white lion cubs were born at the Papanack Park Zoo outside Ottawa, but did not resub-adults have since been released into the main reserve with the other tawny lions. Queen has since given birth to a further 3 white lion cubs. Continuous monitoring by the Wildlife Department at Sanbona has ensured their white lions are still wild, well, and free.

Jurques Zoo in France[link]

In May 2007 four white lion cubs were born at Jurques Zoo in France. The cubs consisted of one male and three females. Each cub weighed approximately 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) at birth, and all four were in good health. However, they needed to be hand fed because their mother was not taking proper care of them.

Belgrade Zoo in Serbia[link]

Belgrade zoo in Serbia has 12 white lions. In 2010 four were born by two female lions, each of weight about 1.5kg (3.3 pounds).^[3] Four new white lions were born in April 2011.^[4] The zoo was awarded in 2009 for its professional care for animals.

West Midland Safari Park[link]

In 2004 West Midland Safari Park had 4 white lions arrive at the park the only white lions in the UK and they settled into the Kingdom of the White Lion exhibit at the park very well, 4 years later one lioness had 4 cubs in the space of 9 hours, Doubling the total of the 4 to 8 in the UK. The pride at the Park in Worcestershire are they only pride of white lion in the UK and are breeding very well.

Genetics[link]

White lions are not albinos but are leucistic. They have pigment visible in the eyes (which may be the normal hazel or golden color, blue-gray, or green-gray), paw pads and lips. Blue-eyed white lions exist and may be selectively bred. The leucistic trait is due to the chinchilla mutation that inhibits the deposition of pigment along the hair shaft, restricting it to the tips. The less pigment there is along the hair shaft, the paler the lion. As a result "white" lions range from blonde through to near white. The males have pale manes and tail tips instead of the usual dark tawny or black. The Latin name of Panthera leo krugeri is not limited to white lions. It applies to all South African lion subspecies; the prides of which are mostly located in Kruger National Park and nearby game reserves.

White specimens usually have a yellowish-brown or golden eye color which is very similar to their tawny cousins, though some have bluish coloring like the white tiger.

Belgrade Zoo has become known as a center of natural reproduction of white lions. The first specimen arrived in 2005 and Belgrade became the first zoo in Europe to have the rare animals.^{[citation needed]}

Six years later, the "Garden of Good Hope," boasts that in his area currently has ten white lions.^{[citation needed]}

In the wild within their natural endemic range[link]

In 2003, the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT) initiated the first ever reintroduction of white lions to their natural endemic range - the Greater Timbavati region in South Africa. Preliminary results have shown that the hunting success of the white lion pride was comparable to or higher than the wild prides ('normal' coloured / tawny) of the Timbavati itself (Turner 2005, Turner in prep.). This pride of "all" white lions has shattered the misperception that white lions cannot hunt successfully (within their natural endemic habitat) due to a perceived lack of camouflage. The long-term objective of the WLT is to restore the natural balance by reintroducing an integrated pride/s of white and tawny lions within their endemic range. White lions are a unique contribution to the biodiversity of the region and are revered by the local communities that hold them sacred.^[5]

See also[link]

• Kimba the White Lion

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: White lions

• Global White Lion Protection Trust
• West Midland Safari Park - Kingdom Of The White Lions
• Volunteer Work with White Lions South Africa
• Article regarding the reintroduction of White Lions
• White Lions - History, Mythology and Geneticshe:עברית