Stenzler wins court case, will stay head of JNF

Petah Tikva District Court prevents Defense Minister Ehud Barak efforts to unseat JNF head after two-year legal battle.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
JNF chairman Effi Stenzler 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
JNF chairman Effi Stenzler 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The Petah Tikva District Court put an end to a two-year legal battle on Tuesday when it ruled that Jewish National Fund (JNF) world chairman Effi Stenzler will remain in his post, despite efforts by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to unseat him.
Barak had hoped to give the plum job to one of his allies, such as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Shalom Simhon or former minister Shimon Shetreet. But the court ruled that the job must remain in Stenzler’s Labor Party. The court did not allow Barak’s Independence Party to field Shetreet as a candidate against Stenzler.
The court ordered Shetreet to pay Stenzler NIS 50,000 in legal expenses. The judge criticized Barak’s Independence Party, Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu and other parties that wanted to take the post away from Labor, despite coalition agreements in the World Zionist Organization.
The court ordered the parties to pay damages as well.
“This case is a grave violation of a written contract,” Judge Ofer Grosskopf wrote. “Those wanting to break the agreement were doing so out of their own interests. There is no choice but to end this episode, which should have concluded a long time ago.”
The ruling was a big victory for Stenzler, who did not give in to pressure from Barak, who tried several political and legal maneuvers to oust him. An additional victor was MK Eli Aflalo (Kadima), who will be given the post of honorary JNF co-chairman at the next JNF Assembly on January 4. He will be replaced in the Knesset by Avi Duan, a political ally of MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima).
“This is a victory for justice and democracy,” Stenzler said.
“The court ruled that even in politics there is a red line that cannot be crossed and agreements must be honored. Now is the time to move the JNF forward in order to improve the environment and the lives of the people of Israel.”