;hZeĎWd `_X[ jh_]][hi Iehei Jkha[o [n_j
GEORGE SOROS’S Open Society Foundation will cease all activities in Turkey after the billionaire investor was singled out for criticism by PresiMNW] @NûNY BKāāRY 4[MXĔKW
The 4÷Úú G^û[c\ ñRúWÚ said it would seek to legally wind up its operations because the “intensification of baseless claims and unrestrained speculation in the media had made it impossible for the foundation to continue R]\ XYN[K]RXW\²
7W K \YNNûQ UK\] ÿNNT ;[ 4[MXĔKW alleged that Mr Soros was funding a campaign to release Osman Kavala, a businessman in custody since last year accused of conspiring to topple the government during mass protests RW " !#
“Behind [Kavala] is the famous HunPK[RKW 8Nÿ AX[X\ ² ;[ 4[MXĔKW \KRM RW a speech to local government leaders XW öNMWN\MKā ±BQR\ R\ K VKW ÿR]Q KW abundance of money who assigns peoYUN ]X MRþRMN WK]RXW\ KWM \QK]]N[ ]QNV ²
Following his remarks, a number of newspapers close to Turkey’s governing party claimed Mr Soros had illicitly used the foundation to channel overseas funds in support of antiPXþN[WVNW] Kû]RþR]RN\ ÿR]QRW B^[TNā
But the foundation’s Turkish branch said in its statement on Monday that all its overseas donations had been reported to and approved by the [NUNþKW] \]K]N [^W KPNWûā
The same agency detailed the final destination of those funds in its annual report every June, the foundation KMMNM
ISRAEL’S CHIEF Rabbinate has a struck a deal with a body of European rabbis to recognise each other’s conversions — a move that could affect thousands of Jewish converts across ]QN òXW]RWNW]
Under the agreement, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), an Orthodox umbrella body, will become the sole authority recognised in Israel OX[ 8NÿR\Q ûXWþN[\RXW RW 4^[XYN
In return, the European rabbis will not recognise private conversions ÿR]QRW 7\[KNU
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the CER’s president, welcomed the agreement: “Conversions have always been an important issue and we need global standards to ensure that those who have already converted are able to travel freely throughout the JewR\Q ÿX[UM
“This is an important step towards that goal and we are proud that, as a result of this decision, we are closer to a stronger and more united global 8NÿR\Q ûXVV^WR]ā ²
The CER said it had always accepted Israeli conversions but that it was “incredibly significant” that the Chief Rabbinate would only send its rabbis to Europe with the CER’s consent because it allowed European communities to control their own conver\RXW\ BQN K[[KWPNVNW] ÿRUU KU\X KUUXÿ European Orthodox converts to enjoy
in limbo with conversions recogWR\NM Lā \XVN KWM WX] X]QN[\
“We need mutual recognition of all conversions that meet the basic halachic requirements — and a Jewish state whose religious authorities recXPWR\N KUU \][NKV\ XO 8^MKR\V ²
Israel does have Reform and Masorti conversion authorities, but a report ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found these programmes “rarely seek to have their conversion [NûXPWR\NM Lā ]QN EòQRNOG @KLLRWK]N²