Malcolm Hoenlein
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Hoenlein is the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations since June 1986. He is the founding executive director of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Hoenlein received his B.A from Temple University
and his Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania
.
He has taught international relations and served as a Middle East specialist at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
(FPRI). In addition, he served on the editorial staff of Orbis
, FPRI’s journal of international affairs.
Hoenlein is the recipient of many awards and tributes from organizations and individuals, including State of Israel Bonds, President Ronald Reagan
, American ORT, Brandeis University, Jerusalem College of Technology, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. He played a key role in organizing the massive National Solidarity Rally for Israel in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 2002. A recent poll ranks him as the most influential Jewish leader.
Hoenlein is associated with and serves on the boards of many communal, educational and civic organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, America-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Uzbekistan-U.S. Chamber, the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Jerusalem’s Sha'arey Tzedek Medical Center, the Fairness Project and One Family. He is Chairman of America’s Voices in Israel and Co-Chair of Sharing for Life. He serves on the Board of Directors or Advisory Board of several companies, including Bank Leumi USA. He is also the Director of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals since 2001.
President George W. Bush
appointed Hoenlein to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had concluded they must rescind an invitation to vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin
. According to an interview Hoenlein gave to NBC/NJ, the invitation was initially extended to balance Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had long been on the rally agenda.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/category/1332.aspx
The sequence of events became highly politicized, gaining significant media attention. According to AP, Palin blamed Democrats
for withdrawing the rally invitation http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOLA7VP7EF19UHsV9HWRApTlTTJAD93A3O1O0. Palin complained to supporters that "Democrat partisans" had pressured organizers. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/category/1332.aspx Sen. Richard Durbin, however, noted "it's very tense political time, the election is so close, and I think there were basic mistakes made in organizing this rally, I'm not being negative, but I think the way the invitations were issued created a problem. I'm sure they never intended this to happen, but it did." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1022819.html
Hoenlein stirred further controversy over a conference call during the heat of the campaign with Senator John McCain
. The Forward
reported that the call was not well received by Jewish leaders who felt it was "inappropriate for the non-partisan group to promote one candidate’s events." http://www.forward.com/articles/14412/. One noted that “there is a general perception that the Presidents Conference leans more to the right, and this is yet another example.” http://www.forward.com/articles/14412/ Hoenlein fired back in an interview with Shalom TV
that the Forward was "not a paper of great import." http://204.186.93.178/pdfs/ShalomTV_HoenleinForward_PR.pdf
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency
noted that the animosity with the Forward is "mutual", noting that "Hoenlein didn't make the cut for the Forward 50," the paper's annual list of most influential Jewish leaders. http://blogs.jta.org/telegraph/article/2008/11/18/1001067/take-that-forward
Hoenlein made news again with his statement that President Barack Obama's June 4, 2009
speech to the Arab world from Cairo dismayed many Jews with its attempt to compare the struggle of the Palestinians with Israel to the World War II Jewish Holocaust
.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Hoenlein received his B.A from Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
and his Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
He has taught international relations and served as a Middle East specialist at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The Foreign Policy Research Institute is an American neoconservative think tank based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is "devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S...
(FPRI). In addition, he served on the editorial staff of Orbis
Orbis (foreign policy)
Orbis is a quarterly American journal on international relations and U.S. foreign policy. It is the flagship publication of the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute , an international affairs think tank established in 1955....
, FPRI’s journal of international affairs.
Hoenlein is the recipient of many awards and tributes from organizations and individuals, including State of Israel Bonds, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, American ORT, Brandeis University, Jerusalem College of Technology, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. He played a key role in organizing the massive National Solidarity Rally for Israel in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 2002. A recent poll ranks him as the most influential Jewish leader.
Hoenlein is associated with and serves on the boards of many communal, educational and civic organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, America-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Uzbekistan-U.S. Chamber, the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Jerusalem’s Sha'arey Tzedek Medical Center, the Fairness Project and One Family. He is Chairman of America’s Voices in Israel and Co-Chair of Sharing for Life. He serves on the Board of Directors or Advisory Board of several companies, including Bank Leumi USA. He is also the Director of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals since 2001.
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Hoenlein to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.
Controversies
On Sept 18th, 2008, Hoenlein announced that the coalition of groups sponsoring a rally to protest Iranian PresidentPresident of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's head of state...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had concluded they must rescind an invitation to vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. According to an interview Hoenlein gave to NBC/NJ, the invitation was initially extended to balance Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had long been on the rally agenda.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/category/1332.aspx
The sequence of events became highly politicized, gaining significant media attention. According to AP, Palin blamed Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
for withdrawing the rally invitation http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOLA7VP7EF19UHsV9HWRApTlTTJAD93A3O1O0. Palin complained to supporters that "Democrat partisans" had pressured organizers. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/category/1332.aspx Sen. Richard Durbin, however, noted "it's very tense political time, the election is so close, and I think there were basic mistakes made in organizing this rally, I'm not being negative, but I think the way the invitations were issued created a problem. I'm sure they never intended this to happen, but it did." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1022819.html
Hoenlein stirred further controversy over a conference call during the heat of the campaign with Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
reported that the call was not well received by Jewish leaders who felt it was "inappropriate for the non-partisan group to promote one candidate’s events." http://www.forward.com/articles/14412/. One noted that “there is a general perception that the Presidents Conference leans more to the right, and this is yet another example.” http://www.forward.com/articles/14412/ Hoenlein fired back in an interview with Shalom TV
Shalom TV
-Overview:Shalom TV, Free on Demand, is the Jewish television cable network in North America. A mainstream network, it addresses the entire spectrum of Jewish life with cultural programming for the entire Jewish community. Shalom TV is available on cable providers serving more than 41 million...
that the Forward was "not a paper of great import." http://204.186.93.178/pdfs/ShalomTV_HoenleinForward_PR.pdf
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is an international news agency serving Jewish community newspapers and media around the world. The JTA was founded on February 6, 1917, by Jacob Landau as the Jewish Correspondence Bureau in The Hague with the mandate of collecting and disseminating news among and...
noted that the animosity with the Forward is "mutual", noting that "Hoenlein didn't make the cut for the Forward 50," the paper's annual list of most influential Jewish leaders. http://blogs.jta.org/telegraph/article/2008/11/18/1001067/take-that-forward
Hoenlein made news again with his statement that President Barack Obama's June 4, 2009
speech to the Arab world from Cairo dismayed many Jews with its attempt to compare the struggle of the Palestinians with Israel to the World War II Jewish Holocaust
.
External links
- Malcolm Hoenlein Video Gallery
- Allison Hoffman, "King without a Crown", Tablet Magazine