According to an article in today’s Haaretz,

“The Jewish Agency is planning to close one of its most historically important branches,
the Immigration and Absorption Department, as part of a radical restructuring plan, Agency sources said Wednesday.

The plan, which Agency officials consider to be a major change in the identity of the organization that predates the creation of Israel and has existed in its current form since 1948, will introduce reforms aimed at addressing a series of financial and political blows that have plagued the organization in recent years.”

“The Agency has been taking punches from every direction in recent years; politically, organizationally and [in terms of] its image,” a senior Agency official said. Donations made by individuals in the U.S. Jewish community, which account for two-thirds of the Agency’s annual budget, have been in steady decline in recent years.“

Read more here

updated 21 March: JAFI is apparently none to happy about this “leak” in yesterday’s paper; this article from today’s Jerusalem Post.

A related article by the astute Haviv Rettig, extremely relevant on so many levels, Analysis: Playing With Fire, here.

Stay tuned; we’re certainly in fluid and interesting times on this subject.