The Estonian Jewish Community is to rejoin the national minorities cultural council following changes to the board composition.
The organization announced it decided to restore its membership of the cultural council of national minorities (Rahvusvähemuste Kultuurinõukoda), which it left in summer 2023 in protest over the inclusion of a then-MP who had expressed antisemitic views.
“We highly value the opportunity to participate in the work of the council, which is aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue and supporting the cultural initiatives of Estonia’s national minorities,” the council itself noted.
The President of the Estonian Jewish Community Eduard Klas will be the representative on the board.
The Jewish community in June 2023 suspended its membership of the council in protest at Ruuben Kaalep, then an EKRE MP, being a board member of the Integration Foundation (Integratsiooni sihtasutus), which the council falls under. The MP had reportedly publicly expressed antisemitic views.
The EJC had been a member of the council since it was set up in 2008.
The Integration Foundation’s board is made up of representatives of the elected Riigikogu parties, together with stakeholders from the relevant ministries, and from academia.
