Malcolm I. Hoenlein
Malcolm I. Hoenlein has been the Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations since June 1986.
He has reportedly been described variously as 'one of the most powerful people, politically, in the United States', as having 'the greatest Rolodex in the world'[1] and as the 'most influential private citizen in American foreign policy-making'[2].
He is 'seen as the gatekeeper to the extraordinary wealth and influence of the far-flung American Jewish diaspora' by Israelis and Dore Gold, former Israel ambassador to the UN has reportedly said: 'The government changes, and the administration changes, but Malcolm is always there'.[3]
Contents
Attendance at Herzliya Conference
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Hoenlein has spoken several times at the Herzliya Conference, a major security conference held annually in Israel:
- At the Sixth Herzliya Conference he spoke about 'Israel’s Standing in the United States and Future Israeli-American Relations' (22 January 2006)[4]
- At the Seventh Herzliya Conference he spoke on 'Strategies for Confronting Anti-Semitism' (23 January 2007)[5]
- At the Tenth Annual Herzliya Conference he spoke on a panel with Tzipi Livni and Daniel Ayalon at a talk entitled 'Still Special? US-Israel Relations' (1 February 2010)[6]
- At the Eleventh Annual Herzliya Conference he participated in a talk called 'All the Eggs in One Basket? America's Place in Israel's Foreign Policy' (7 February 2011)[7]
- At the Twelfth Herzliya Conference he spoke on 'Facing Delegitimization and Anti-Semitism: Do Israeli Policies affect the State of Jewish Diaspora?' (1 February 2012)[8]
Views
Right-wing, unlike most American Jews
Hoenlein is widely seen as a Republican sympathiser though he has not stated this publically, nor does his name appear on any list of party donors.[9] But at 2009 meeting with President Obama, he was seen as one of the most hostile among a group of Jewish leaders.[10] Journalist Allison Hoffman doubts he was among the 78 per cent of Jews in America who voted for Obama, suggesting his leadership role in the Conference may mean it is out of step with the majority of American Jewry. In contrast, 'no Israeli government has had to worry about winding up on the wrong side of a public statement issued by Hoenlein or the Conference'.[11]
Alleged pro-settlements stance
According to Michael Massing, Hoenlein believes that Jews 'have a right to live in Judaea and Samaria [a Biblical name for the West Bank], part of the ancient Jewish homeland - just as they have a right to live in Paris or Washington' and:
- has long been involved with the settlers' movement. For several years in the mid-1990s, he served as an associate chairman for the annual fundraising dinners held in New York for Bet El, a militant settlement near Ramallah that actively worked to scuttle the peace process by provoking confrontations with neighboring Palestinians.[12].
Early symapthy with Meir Kahane
He has said that he was 'intellectually sympathetic' with Meir Kahane, founder of the extreme-right Jewish Defense League, 'when he started'.[13]
Affiliations
- Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
- Council on Foreign Relations
- America’s Voices in Israel
- Secure Community Network[14]
Funding
It has been reported that in 2008 Hoenlein, according to IRS documents, 'made more than $385,000 in cash and benefits from the Conference and a related nonprofit fund'.[15]
Resources
- Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, 10 May 2012, Tablet Magazine
- Michael Massing, Deal Breakers, 20 February 2002, American Prospect
Notes
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Michael Massing, Deal Breakers, American Prospect, accessed 17 July 2012
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Program, The 6th Conference, herzliyaconference.org, accessed 6 June 2012.
- ↑ The 7th Conference - 2007, herzliyaconference.org, 23 May 2012.
- ↑ The 10th Annual Herzliya Conference, herzliyaconference.org, accessed 25 February 20201.
- ↑ Herzliya2011 Preliminary Programme, herzliyaconference.org, accessed 14 October 2011.
- ↑ The Twelfth Annual Herzliya Conference, herzliyaconference.org, accessed 1 June 2012.
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Obama Moves to Assuage Jewish Leaders, New York Times, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Michael Massing, Deal Breakers, American Prospect, accessed 17 July 2012
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
- ↑ Malcolm I. Hoenlein Biography, Conference of Presidents, accessed 3 July 2012
- ↑ Allison Hoffman, King Without A Crown, Tablet, accessed 18 July 2012
