Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this morning attended the Jewish Agency Board of Governors meeting (http://tinyurl.com/68hxqj).

Prime Minister Olmert discussed the Jewish Agency’s great contributions to the State of Israel over the past 60 years but also pointed out that reality requires us to reconsider the nature of the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities: “For the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple, a majority of the world’s Jews live in Israel.  We must understand that it is possible that the period of massive immigration to Israel is nearing an end.  The time has come to reconsider the link between Israel and Jewish communities around the world in keeping with the changing reality.”

Prime Minister Olmert said that the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency had to work together in order to strengthen the link between the Jewish People around the world and the State of Israel by investing in additional joint projects such as Birthright (http://tinyurl.com/3d9tbz), Masa (http://tinyurl.com/3t6n87) and Nativ.

Prime Minister Olmert added: “Our main goal is to strengthen Jewish education in Jewish communities, including the study of Hebrew; increase awareness regarding Jewish culture and heritage; instill Jewish values; and deepen the links between world Jewish communities and the State of Israel.  We must stop talking in terms of big brother and little brother and instead speak in terms of two brothers marching hand-in-hand and supporting each other so that the Jewish People – both in Israel and around the world – has a better future.”