Livni and the Diaspora

from The Jerusalem Post:

Analysis: Expanded Diaspora affairs ministry may be on tap

The Olmert years saw a sharp spike in consultations between Israeli officials and Diaspora leaders, and the launching of several initiatives to improve Israel-Diaspora relations.

But all this attention may wane now that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has resigned, and new Kadima leader Tzipi Livni struggles to form a coalition before any of the planned initiatives have even been budgeted.

The ideas for engaging some seven million Diaspora Jews included establishing a world Jewish parliament, founding an on-line Jewish university, scattering Israel culture centers around the globe, unifying organizations and bureaucracies representing Israel abroad, bringing Jewish teachers on paid study trips to Israel and founding new institutions to encourage the flowering of Jewish art and creativity.