3 Tevet, 5763
Jerusalem

Sallai Meridor to Speak at Opening Monday, December 9^th at 16:00 in Binyanei Haooma

The Jewish Agency for Israel is one of the major sponsors of the five-day Francophone Conference, which begins this evening in Jerusalem.  Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor will speak at the ceremonial opening, which will take place in Binyanei Haooma, tomorrow, Monday, 9 December at 16:00.

Sharing the podium with Mr. Meridor will be the French Ambassador, H.E. Mr Jacques Huntzinger, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Prof. Shimon Shitrit; Mr. David Saada, director General of the Fonds Social Juif Unifie (FSJU), Ambassador. Avi Pazner, Chairman of Keren Hayesod and former Ambassador of Israel to France and author Prof. Andre Chouraqi.

Mr. Shimon Peres will address the gathering on Thursday at 17:30 followed by a panel discussion on "Francophonie a new Initiative," in which Jewish Agency Treasurer Shai Hermesh will participate alongside Mr. Sitbon, President of the Israel-France, and Mr. Andre Roso. The Conference was organized by the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 and the Union Intercommunautaire France (affiliated with the FSJU). It is supported by many of France's major Jewish organizations (including, inter aliya the FSJU, the Conseil Representatif des Institutions Juives de France the Consistoire Central and the Alliance Israelite Universelle).

The aims of the conference are to show affinity among the French speaking Jewish communities and their solidarity with Israel and to show the contribution which Jews made to French civilization and that of French speaking nations. The program will include lectures by intellectuals and journalists, dance and dramatic presentations, cinema, concerts, site visits, book exhibits and literary discussions. The conference comes after the Francophonie conference, held in Beirut at the beginning of the year, from which Israel was excluded.

On Tuesday at 17:00 a symposium on Aliyah and Absorption led by the Jewish Agency's Immigration and Absorption Department and UNIFAN will take place. Deputy Minister of Absorption, Yuli Edelstein, Mr. Zvi Hendel, Jewish Agency Head of Mission to France and Western Europe Menachem Gour Ari and Mr. Raymond Darmond President of UNIFAN.

Wednesday will be devoted to a trip to Ma'alot, with which the French Jewish community is a partner through the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000. Mr. Meir Nitzan, Director General of the Jewish Agency's Israel Department will address the guests at breakfast, prior to departure and during their field trip the participants will meet with Mayor Shlomo Bouhbout and the Director of the Jewish Agency's Northern Region, Mr. Yitzhak Blonder.