A general assembly of the European Jewish Congress elected French entrepreneur-philanthropist Pierre Besnainou as the new president of the organization.
The European Jewish Congress is an umbrella organization of 38 Jewish communities in the EU as well as Eastern Europe, of which the largest are in Russia, the Ukraine and Hungary, totaling about 2.5 million Jews.
Besnainou has served as the treasurer and a member of its presidium. He is a proponent of a stronger, more independent EJC and less involvement of American Jewish organizations such as American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee in European Jewish affairs.
Besnainou is also vice president of CRIF, the umbrella organization of Jewish groups in France. He said he would work for reconciliation of European peoples with Judaism and Israel.
