Samuel Hayek
Samuel Hayek is an Israeli businessman.
Contents
Background
Hayek was born in Kfar-Saba, Israel, following the emigration of his family from Baghdad, Iraq, in 1951.[1]
IDF
Hayek served in the IDF's Military Intelligence Unit taking part in two wars, The Yom Kippur War in 1973 on the Southern front and the First Lebanon War in 1982.[1]
Business Career and Philanthropy
Samuel studied at The University of Buckingham and graduated in Law.[1]
Hayek divides his time between Israel and the UK, where he has a number of business interests, with his main area of expertise is in residential and commercial property investment and development.[1]
In 2007, Samuel established “The Hayek Centre for Contemporary Art”, in Jaffa.[1]
JNF UK
Hayek was appointed as Chairman of the Jewish National Fund UK in February 2008.[1]
The Jerusalem Post reported that the appointment was part of a reconciliation with its Israeli sister organisation:
- The Jewish National Fund UK will soon return to the fold of the international Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) system following an agreement reached between the two organizations last week that will end two years of legal battles and bickering over funds.
- The agreement will require more time to finalize its details, but the linking of the two organizations has already begun with the appointment of KKL Charitable Trust chairman Samuel Hayek to the newly formed parallel position of JNF UK chairman. The same man will now chair both the original JNF UK and the rival organization founded by Israel-based KKL to compete with it.[2]
Geoffrey Alderman claimed in February 2009:
- What actually happened was that Mr Hayek carried out what appears to have been a form of coup, which was certainly well executed and which one can reasonably assume had been carefully planned.
- Mr Hayek now heads JNF-UK. Mrs Seal is out, and so are many of the staff who loyally served under her. Mr Hayek and his team are in.[3]
Patriarchate allegations
In November 2011, Haaretz linked Hayek to bribery allegations that Israeli government Minister Rafi Eitan had been involved in a deal to award the Greek Orthodox patriarchate of Jerusalem to Theophilos III:
- Documents indicated that Eitan had allegedly acted at the behest of an old friend, real estate baron Samuel Hayek, who is known to be a confidant of right-wing Israeli politicians, to promote an agreement between a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund and the Patriarchate to extend the lease on the land, ahead of the approval of the Israeli government of Theophilos' appointment.
- The agreement between the JNF and the Patriarchate was to have resolved a suit the Patriarchate brought against the JNF subsidiary over the leases. Surprisingly, the agreement stated that the Patriarchate was to pay the JNF $13 million.
- It later emerged that the day the government approved Theophilos' appointment, Eitan sent a fax to Hayek in London stating that he had talked to the future patriarch and had received a promise that the leases would be extended.[4]
Affiliations
- KKL Charity Accounts - Trustee
- The Holy Land Foundation - Trustee
- The JNF Educational Trust - Trustee
- JNF Charitable Trust - Trustee
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 SAMUEL (SHMUEL) HAYEK, Natural History Collections, Tel Aviv University, accessed 8 August 2012.
- ↑ Haviv Rettig, JNF UK decides to return to the fold, Jerusalem Post, 4 February 2008.
- ↑ Geoffrey Alderman, Why I worry about the JNF, jc.com, 12 February 2009.
- ↑ Tomer Zarchin, Police to investigate claim Greek patriarch bought title with $13 million bribe, Haaretz, 23 November 2011.
