Jewish Agency aliya director leaves the agency

By HAVIV RETTIG GUR
The director-general of the Jewish Agency's Aliya Department will be leaving agency in the coming weeks, it was announced on Sunday, and will be temporarily replaced by the agency's deputy director general, Eli Cohen. "The Jewish Agency thanks [Salomon] for his contribution to the organization and wishes him great success in the future," read a statement. According to sources familiar with the change, the move may be the result of frustration on the part of Salomon and other agency officials over the lack of a breakthrough in aliya from the West, which has held relatively steady over the last few years as aliya from other parts of the world declines. The move may also be due to reported frustration at various plans circulating to merge the Jewish Agency's four departments into two. Salomon could not be reached for comment by press time.