ELNET

European Leadership Network
Founded October 22, 2007 (2007-10-22).[1]
Purpose "strengthen relations between Europe and Israel."
Website elnetwork.eu

The European Leadership Network (ELNET) is a non-governmental organization whose stated mission is to strengthen relations between Europe and Israel.[2]

ELNET was created in 2007 as a European pro-Israel advocacy group, to assist European partners become more active politically, in order to counter "widespread criticism of Israel in Europe".[3]

ELNET is registered in Israel, France, Belgium and Germany as ELNET. It is also registered in the USA (as FELNET), although it does not have a website, with it's reported activity revolving solely around fundraising.

Aims and Activities

ELNET is a non-partisan organization, that works to improve strategic relations between Israel and European Union countries. ELNET has activity and presence in Germany, France, Spain, and Poland, as well as an office opening in Brussels.[4]

The organization has interacted with European officials on numerous occasions until 2015:

"ELNET has hosted more than 50 European delegations of parliament members, top government officials, and other European policy leaders to Israel. ELNET has also held more than 20 strategic meetings in Europe, and has engaged more than 500 participants in its effort to enhance European-Israeli understanding and cooperation"[4]

ELNET's role was defined as "encouraging Jewish political activism".[5]

ELNET operated in Europe using similar means and mechanisms similar to the ones used by AIPAC in the U.S.:

"ELNET members use education, financial contributions and voting power to draw European governments closer to Israel […] ELNET's founders conceived it as a European American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) [...] ELNET duplicated the secrets of AIPAC's success in European capitals."[6]

FELNET hosted in the United States Manuel Valls, a former French Prime Minister, in order to raise money.[7]

Management

ELNET was founded by Raanan Eliaz [1][3][4][8]. Raanan Eliaz was a deputy director at the Israeli National Security Council, and the Hudson Institute, Washington D.C.[9][10]

The organization posts an American Larry Hochberg, a co-founder of Children's Bargain Town USA, a small chain of toy stores that operated in Chicago, as the Chairman and co-founder of Felnet.[11][12]

Additional board members of Felnet include Andrew S Hochberg (son of Larry Hochberg), Leonard Foxman, Joseph Feinberg, Kenneth A Ruby, Jerry Rosenberg, Carole Mostow (secretary) and Lee Rosenblum, who is described both as Treasurer of Felnet and as an Executive Director of Felnet.

The organization also posts the following Advisory Board Members: US Senator Joseph Lieberman, US Senator Mark Kirk, Former US Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Former US Congressman Howard Berman, Former US Senator Norm Coleman and Former US Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams.

It also includes Dan_Meridor, a former Israeli minister, and Pierre Dassas.[11]

Founding

  • Belgium: 2007. Founders: Shannon Mica SHIBATA, Raanan ELIAZ, Michael DICKSON[1]
  • Israel: 2010, Founder: Raanan Eliaz[8]
  • France: 2011. Previously named: CERCLE PARIS - JERUSALEM[13]
  • Felnet: 2012. National Executive Director: Lee Rosenblum[14]
  • ELNET Germany: 2014[15]

Controversy and Criticism

Financing Elections in Europe

ELNET has interfered with the 2012 French presidential elections. ELNET had made a financial contribution to (now former president) François_Hollande, bypassing American laws and using American contributions to provide political donations.[16]

Working with Holocaust-deniers, embarrassing Israel

Defaming sources accused the organization to have provided assurances to work with Poland's Holocaust Deniers.[17][18]

Steven J. Rosen and Espionage

ELNET's advisor Steven_J._Rosen[19], was indicted in August 2005 for alleged violations of the Espionage Act, but charges were dropped. The FBI conducted an espionage investigation accusing Rosen for disclosing classified information. [20] According to AIPAC sources, Rosen and Weissman asked Kohr to give the information to Elliott_Abrams, the then senior Middle East official on the National Security Council.[21][22]

Elliott_Abrams is an Advisory Board Member of Felnet.[11]

Rosen later accused AIPAC for "throwing him under the bus" and filed a $21 million claim against AIPAC [23]

Conflicts with the Israeli Government and Prime Minister

A senior director in ELNET, Eran Etzion, Head of ELNET’s [24] Israel’s Iran policy and directly contradicted stated policies of ELNET. [25]

Etzion was fired from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs over leaking sensitive information [26]. He was investigated by Israel’s Security Agency (Shin Bet) for allegation and his appointment as a deputy Ambassador has been terminated. [27] [28]


See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Federal Public Justice Service, Belgium" (PDF).
  2. ↑ The organization's Website
  3. 1 2 "New European Pro-Israel Group Aims for Low Profile".
  4. 1 2 3 "Non partisan network for Europe Israel Bonds".
  5. ↑ Eizenstat, Ambassador Stuart E. (2012). The Future of the Jews: How Global Forces are Impacting the Jewish People. Rowman and Littlefield. ISBN 978-1442216280.
  6. ↑ "Pouvoir Juif and French concerns over the nuclear deal - Rob Eshman - Jewish Journal". 28 December 2013.
  7. ↑ Torok</a>, BY <a href='http://jewishjournal.com/author/ryan-torok/'>Ryan (14 December 2017). "Moving & Shaking: Friends of ELNET, StandWithUs and More".
  8. 1 2 "תעודת רישום 2010 - אלנט אירופה ישראל (ע"ר).pdf". www.guidestar.org.il.
  9. ↑ Who is Nicolas Sarkozy
  10. ↑ A Wary Security Chief
  11. 1 2 3 ELNET's website, leadership and staff
  12. ↑ "History of Sportmart, Inc. – FundingUniverse". www.fundinguniverse.com.
  13. ↑ "Consulter les annonces du JO Association<". www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr.
  14. ↑ "FRIENDS OF ELNET - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org.
  15. ↑ "Handelsregisterauszug von ELNET Deutschland e.V. (VR 33364 B)". www.online-handelsregister.de.
  16. ↑ "Pouvoir Juif and French concerns over the nuclear deal - Rob Eshman - Jewish Journal". 28 December 2013.
  17. ↑ Cronin, David (21 December 2017). "We work with Holocaust deniers, says leading pro-Israel group".
  18. ↑ Abunimah, Ali (30 January 2018). "Israel embarrassed by its Holocaust-denying allies in Poland".
  19. ↑ "Steven J. Rosen's schedule for JFN2013".
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ "Los Angeles Times: FBI Questions Israeli Lobbyists in Spying Probe". 27 May 2005.
  22. ↑ "American Israel Public Affairs Committee - Powerbase". powerbase.info.
  23. ↑ Mozgovaya, Natasha (21 November 2010). "'They Threw Me Under the Bus'" – via Haaretz.
  24. ↑ "Forum of Strategic Dialogue has criticized". f-sd.eu.
  25. ↑ "Does Iran Really Want To Nuke Israel". Haaretz.
  26. ↑ "Israeli Diplomat Probed Over Leaks, US Job Nixed". Israel National News.
  27. ↑ "Designated Deputy Ambassador disappeared". NRG.
  28. ↑ "Shin-Bet delays Deputy Ambassador Appointment". Israel Defense.
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