U.K. JNF declares autonomy

Friday, March 26, 1999 | by

JERUSALEM (JTA)—After a yearlong power struggle, the Jewish National Fund’s United Kingdom office is breaking away from its p

"They were trying to turn us into a British chapter of KKL," said Gail Seal, Britain's JNF chapter president. "If we accepted this, we would be in danger of losing our charitable status in the U.K."

In Israel, KKL world chairman Shlomo Gravetz accused the British office of "political manipulation" aimed at wresting control from KKL in Israel and of trying to convince other overseas JNF offices to do the same.

"We will never agree to allow the center of activity to be transferred from Jerusalem," he said.

Founded in 1901, KKL was the vehicle through which Jews around the world funded the acquisition of land in Palestine. This acquisition was instrumental to Israel's establishment in 1948. KKL's controversial charter bans the sale of land to non-Jews.

On Wednesday of last week, Seal sent a harsh letter to Gravetz, explaining the group's decision. In the letter obtained by JTA, Seal accused Gravetz of trying to control internal affairs and even shut down the London office, which is registered as an independent charity in Britain.

For his part, Gravetz slammed JNF UK for its "brutal" treatment of Israeli representatives who had been working in London. The dispute reached a climax in January, when JNF UK barred two Israeli representatives of KKL from entering its London office. KKL demanded an apology.

Seal has scheduled a meeting with representatives of all British Jewish organizations and said the disagreement may strain relations between Britain's Jewish community and Israel.

The KKL plans to take the dispute to a London court and will try to force JNF UK to change its name.