European Leadership Network (ELNET)

The European Leadership Network (ELNET) is a pro-Israel nonprofit organization that intends to strengthen relations between Europe and Israel. ELNET encourages exchanges among European and Israeli policymakers based on shared democratic values and strategic interests, and states that it seeks peace in the Middle East. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: 501(c)(3)
Ideological Alignment: None
Issue Areas: Foreign Policy
Website: www.elnetus.org
Formation:

2012

President:

David Siegel

Location: Skokie, IL View on map
Tax ID: 45-2212393
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $8,505,109 Revenue: $10,705,776 Expenses: $9,106,099

Contents

    ELNET has locations throughout Europe and in Israel,  1 and is funded through its U.S.-based nonprofit Friends of ELNET, which received over $8.6 million in grants and contributions in tax year 2024.  2

    History

    The European Leadership Network (ELNET) was founded by Newt Becker, Larry Hochberg, and Hubert Leven in 2007. The co-founders argued that the only way for Israel to be truly safe and secure was to create strategic partnerships with certain countries in Europe in addition to Israel’s already established relationship with the United States. 3

    ELNET was created to foster diplomatic, defense, and economic cooperation between Israel and certain European countries. ELNET claimed to influence Israel’s relations with Europe by investing in pro-Israel advocacy, high-level delegations, and innovative programs, and claimed to be the “most influential pro-Israel advocacy organization in Europe.” As of 2026, ELNET claimed to have offices in six European countries and Israel, along with its Friends of ELNET U.S.-based nonprofit organization, which worked in nearly 40 countries. 3

    Activities

    European Leadership Network intends to maintain a safe and secure Israel through strengthened Israel-Europe relations. ELNET works to expand European support to counter threats from Iran, combat terrorism, fight antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel, promote Arab-Israeli normalization, and strengthen economic relations between Europe and Israel. ELNET states that its work has fostered collaborations in science, health, and trade partnerships and helped to restore fractured diplomatic relations between Israel and European countries. ELNET also claims to have played a key role in banning Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations across Europe by preventing Hamas from receiving funds.  1

    ELNET delegations have allowed thousands of European policymakers and leaders to visit Israel over the last decade. The delegations allow participants to experience Israel first-hand, and include curated programs that feature meetings with senior Israeli officials, politicians, and policy experts, visits to sensitive security sites, briefings with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel, and tours of national infrastructure and places of historical significance. 4

    ELNET holds an annual International Policy Conference (EIPC) which connects experienced policymakers and experts from key European countries and Israel, along with speakers from the U.S. and Arab countries. EIPC provides a platform for open dialogue about policy areas of mutual interest to Europe and Israel, including how to shape Europe’s Middle East policy and Europe-Israel relations. 5

    ELNET’s Forum of Strategic Dialogue (FSD) addresses major geopolitical Israeli-European issues by organizing and facilitating high-level strategic dialogues between European countries and Israel. These dialogues involve Israeli and European officials and experts in national security and foreign policy to enhance mutual understanding and advance joint interests. Key European countries involved in these dialogues include France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Dialogues have also been established with the EU, NATO, the US-Europe-Israel Trilateral Strategic Dialogue, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Europe-Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Forum. 6

    Former chairs of FSD include Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli Defense Intelligence and director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), and Mike Herzog, former head of the Strategic Planning Division of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).  6

    Financials

    The European Leadership Network was funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Donations are made directly to the U.S.-based Friends of ELNET nonprofit organization. While Friends of ELNET does not  disclose its donors, tax returns confirm its largest donations were from organizations like the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation ($445,000 in 2022)  7 and the National Philanthropic Trust ($290,000 in 2023). 8 Friends of ELNET has also received many donations from private foundations, including the William Davidson Foundation ($450,000 in 2024),  9 the Newton and Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust ($334,245 in 2024),  10 and the Rosenberg Family Foundation ($210,000 in 2024).  11

    According to its 2024 tax return, Friends of ELNET raised over $8.6 million in contributions and grants. 12 Friends of ELNET conducted fundraising in Illinois, California, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada.  13 ELNET contributed over $5.9 million in grants and other assistance to foreign organizations and spent over $1.1 million on salaries and wages.  14

    Leadership

    Senior Staff

    As of 2026, David Siegel was the chief of global operations of the European Leadership Network (ELNET)-US and the president of the board of Friends of ELNET. Siegel was formerly an Israeli diplomat who served as consul general to the Southwest U.S., chief of staff to Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, director of the foreign ministry’s international organizations department, and chief of staff to three of Israel’s Ambassadors to the United States.  15

    As of 2026, Carole Mostow was vice president of global operations at ELNET-US, secretary of the board of the Friends of ELNET, and the director of the Hochberg Family Foundation. As of 2026, Mostow was sitting on the board of StandWithUs Midwest. 15

    Board of Directors

    Larry Hochberg was a co-founder and chair emeritus of the board of Friends of ELNET. Hochberg was a pro-Israel philanthropist, founder of the Aliyah Council, and sat on the boards of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) (formerly United Jewish Communities).  16 Hochberg passed away in 2025. 17

    As of 2026, Robert “Tom” Flesh was chair of the board of Friends of ELNET 18 and was sitting on the board of StandWithUs. 19

    As of 2026, Omri Dahan was sitting on the boards of the Impact Forum Foundation and was active with AIPAC, StandWithUs, the Manhattan Jewish Experience, and Chabad of Harvard. 20

    As of 2026, Steven J. Fishman was managing partner of the accounting firm Fishman, Block + Diamond, LLP. As of 2026, Fishman was sitting on the boards of the Impact Forum Foundation, AIPAC, and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, was a member of the Los Angeles Birthright Israel Leadership Council and a trustee of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 20

    As of 2026, Laurent Morali was serving as the CEO of Kushner, a New York real estate development and investment firm. 21

    As of 2026, Susan Wagner was sitting on the board of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and formerly sat on the board of the Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy (CEJP). 22

    Other members of the board include Les Lederer and Jill Ruby-Wahba.  23

    Board of Trustees

    As of 2026, Eric Edidin was a former member of the Los Angeles executive board of JDRF International and a former trustee of the Jewish Communal Fund. As of 2026, Edidin sat on the investment committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. 24

    As of 2026, Joe Feinberg was president of the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, which contributed $100,000 to Friends of ELNET in 2024.  25 Feinberg was a former executive director at Morgan Stanley. 26

    As of 2026, Andrew Hochberg was chair of the board of ELNET Israel, a former member of the board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and a former presidential appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Committee.  27

    As of 2026, Jerry Rosenberg was sitting on the board of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, was active in AIPAC, and was a former co-chair of the Capital Campaign for the Greater Atlanta Jewish Federation. 28

    As of 2026, Eli Saulson was sitting on the board of the William Davidson Foundation. 29

    Other trustees include Robert Feldman, Leonard Foxman, and Orete Harkavy.  23

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $8,505,109 $10,705,776 $9,106,099 View
    2024 $7,141,540 $8,955,347 $8,237,354 View
    2023 $6,073,489 $9,192,588 $7,868,926 View
    2022 $4,749,827 $7,050,381 $6,665,745 View
    2021 $4,365,191 $6,109,452 $5,014,568 View
    2020 $3,341,156 $5,586,211 $3,787,837 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 8

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    David SiegelPresident$414,550
    Carole MostowSecretary$59,539

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $28,422,193
    • Number of Grants: 562
    • Number of Funders: 159

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $486,4102023 Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable TrusGENERAL SUPPORT
    $450,0002024 William Davidson FoundationFor general operating support and delegations to Israel
    $450,0002023 William Davidson FoundationGeneral operating support and VIP delegations to Israel.
    $445,0002022 Ocean State Job Lot Charitable FoundationPROGRAM OPERATIONS
    $350,0002022 William Davidson FoundationTo support the Brussels office and to support programming for Israel delegations.
    $350,0002021 William Davidson FoundationTO SUPPORT THE BRUSSELS OFFICE AND TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING FOR ISRAEL DELEGATIONS.
    $334,2452024 Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable TrusGENERAL SUPPORT
    $300,0002020 William Davidson FoundationTO SUPPORT THE BRUSSELS OFFICE AND TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF HIGH-LEVEL PROGRAMMING FOR ISRAEL DELEGATIONS
    $290,0002024 National Philanthropic TrustINTERNATIONAL
    $233,6582021 Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable TrusGENERAL SUPPORT
    $230,0002023 The Diane and Guilford Glazer FoundationHELPING ISRAEL TELL ITS STORY
    $210,0002024 Rosenberg Family Foundation IncCOMMUNITY SERVICE
    $210,0002023 Rosenberg Family Foundation IncCOMMUNITY SERVICE
    $210,0002022 Rosenberg Family Foundation IncCOMMUNITY SERVICE
    $210,0002021 Rosenberg Family Foundation IncCOMMUNITY SERVICE
    $210,0002020 Rosenberg Family Foundation IncCOMMUNITY SERVICE
    $205,0002023 National Philanthropic TrustINTERNATIONAL
    $205,0002022 Hochberg Family FoundationGENERAL FUND
    $200,0002024 The Tina Snider FoundationOPERATIONS
    $200,0002022 The Diane and Guilford Glazer FoundationCONFRONTING ANTI-SEMITISM & THE DELEGITIMIZATION OF ISRAEL
    $188,2002020 Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable TrusGeneral Support
    $185,5602023 Jewish Federation of ChicagoGrants from Donor Advised Funds – Operating Support
    $160,0002020 David and Etta Jonas Family FoundationUnrestricted
    $155,4602022 Jewish Federation of ChicagoGrants from Donor Advised Funds – Operating Support
    $155,0002024 American Endowment FoundationINTERNATIONAL

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $9,066,932
    • Number of Grants: 15
    • Number of Recipients: 6

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,604,6082021 Multiple Israel RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $1,005,6752020 Anonymous RecipientSEE SCH O
    $880,4382024 Multiple Israel RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $535,8012023 Multiple Poland RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $496,5002024 Multiple Poland RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $479,7582020 Anonymous RecipientSEE SCH O
    $352,0002022 Multiple Poland RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $319,6502020 Anonymous RecipientSEE SCH O
    $213,3442021 Multiple Poland RecipientsSEE SCH O
    $153,1592020 Anonymous Recipient(s)SEE SCH O

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Our Mission.” ELNET. Accessed April 20, 2026. https://elnetwork.eu/about/.
    2. Friends of ELNET, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part I, Line 12.
    3. “History.” ELNET-US. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.elnetus.org/history.
    4. “Delegations.” ELNET. Accessed April 20, 2026. https://elnetwork.eu/delegations/.
    5. “Policy Conferences.” ELNET. Accessed April 20, 2026. https://elnetwork.eu/policy-conferences/.
    6. “Forum of Strategic Dialogue.” ELNET. Accessed April 20, 2026. https://elnetwork.eu/forum-of-strategic-dialogue/.
    7. Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
    8. National Philanthropic Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I, Part II.
    9. William Davidson Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2024, Part XV, Line 3.
    10. Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2024, Part XV, Line 3.
    11. Rosenberg Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2024, Part XV, Line 3.
    12. Friends of ELNET, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part I, Line 8.
    13. Friends of ELNET, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part III, Line 1.
    14. Friends of ELNET, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part IX.
    15. “National Leadership.” ELNET-US. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.elnetus.org/leadershipteam.
    16. Zeidman, Ariella. “American philanthropist Larry Hochberg on the importance of courage.” The Jerusalem Post, July 15, 2021. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report/american-philanthropist-larry-hochberg-on-the-importance-of-courage-673996.
    17. “Lawrence “Larry” J. Hochberg.” The American Israelite. June 12, 2025. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://americanisraelite.com/lawrence-larry-j-hochberg/.
    18. “Major leadership transition at ELNET-US.” Jewish News Syndicate. June 11, 2024. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.jns.org/wire/elnet/major-leadership-transition-at-elnet-us.
    19. “Board of Directors.” StandWIthUs. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://standwithus.com/board/.
    20. “Leadership.” Impact Forum Foundation. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.impactforumfoundation.org/leadership.
    21. “Leadership Team.” Kushner. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://kushner.com/leadership-team/.
    22. “Our People.” ELNET-UK. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://elnet.uk/our-people.
    23. Friends of ELNET, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
    24. “Eric Edidin.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-edidin-a1a848124/.
    25. Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2024, Part XV, Line 3.
    26. “Joseph W. Feinberg.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-w-feinberg-11867112/.
    27. “ELNET in Israel.” ELNET-UK. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://elnet.uk/isreal.
    28. “Jerry Roseberg.” Republic National Distributing Company. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.rndc-usa.com/jerry-rosenberg/.
    29. “ELNET in Italy.” ELNET-UK. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://elnet.uk/italy.