President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Alexander Maсhkevich has participated in a meeting of the International Leadership Reunion (ILR), which gathered leading Jewish philanthropists in the capital of Italy during the first days of November.
ILR forums are regularly conducted by the Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal ("The Fundamental Fund"), which is the central fundraising organization for Israel, in financial and business capitals of the world, and gather those who have made a significant contribution in support of the Jewish state and programs focusing on the Jewish Diaspora. In 2005, the ILR Congress took place in Las Vegas, in 2006 - in London, in 2008 - in Paris. Traditionally, major political figures from different countries participate in the forums alongside the philantropists. Thus. Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, who was a guest of honor at the Paris forum, personally invited ILR participants to hold the next congress in Rome.
The participants of the forum were greeted by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, World Chairman of Keren Hayesod Avi Pazner.
Alexander Mashkevich, head of the Keren Hayesod in the CIS countries, thanked the head of the Italian government for the consistent stand taken by his country towards the Goldstone report, which unjustly accuses Israel of violating human rights.
"We highly value those active politicians, who are free from any kind of political bias, and act not only out of imposed stereotypes, nor only narrow national interest, but also out of moral principles of higher justice," the EAJC leader underscored in an interview.
