Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)

The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) is today a primary organizational expression of the relationship between the State of Israel and world Jewry. It was constituted (1929) by the World Zionist Organization to represent the Jewish community in the Land of Israel vis-a-vis the British Mandate authorities, foreign governments and international organizations. After Israel attained independence, partial responsibility for certain national tasks were delegated by law to JAFI and the WZO, including immigration and absorption, rural settlement and immigrant housing, educational and youth activities, as well as urban renewal. In recent years, many of these functions have been assumed by the government.