Israel

Elect Your Reps for the 35th World Zionist Congress

There’s one month left to register online for the World Zionist Congress elections! If you agree with these central tenents (scroll to the very bottom) and are over the age of 18, you qualify to vote.
Voting in the Congress elections is a simple and effective way to effect change in Israel. By electing a slate which will represent your views before the Congress, you can help set the funding and lobbying priorities of the American Zionist Movement, and in turn, the World Zionist Organization for the coming years.
If you’re fed up with Right-wing organizations like The Zionist Organization of America and American Friends of The Likud leading the charge for American Zionists, pony up your $7 and elect a leadership which better represents your views and your desires for the future of Israel.
Jewschool recommends the following slates:
The Hatikva Coalition, comprised of Ameinu, Meretz USA, Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair and the Union of Progressive Zionists, stands for “Peace, Pluralism and Peoplehood” and promotes a platform of “Security through Peace: Peace through Negotiations — an end to the occupation that consumes the body and soul of Israel. Full equality for all streams of Judaism; complete equality and civil rights for all Israeli citizens. A social and economic system that will not tolerate hunger and poverty.”
The Green Zionist Alliance is “comprised of Jewish environmentalists who care about the country, the people and the land of Israel. […] We are passionately committed to peace, pluralism and human and civil rights. With that as our foundation, the unique focus and central priority of The Green Zionist Alliance is the protection of Israel’s environment.” The GZA’s election slate features Prof. Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Noam Dolgin of The Teva Learning Center, Nigel Savage of Hazon, and other fine Jewish social and environmental leaders and activists.
The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation is committed to advancing the cause of religious pluralism in Israel. “Unlike other movement-based slates we are not trying to replicate the Reconstructionist movement in Israel, but we are trying to support the development of pluralistic Judaism on Israeli terms, and the development of a greater sense of Jewish peoplehood throughout the world. In this way, though we may share many of the same core values as our counterparts at the Congress, our unique perspective allows us to bring new and nuanced vision to the body’s dialogue.”
Seize this unique opportunity to make a difference. Register to vote today!

9 thoughts on “Elect Your Reps for the 35th World Zionist Congress

  1. Now how about parties that are more moderate. Not everyone who doesn’t abide by the Hatika Coalition or Green Zionists necessarily likes ZOA or American Friends of Likud. Is there a group called American Friends of Kadimah, for example?
    I’m not a right wing nut who is opposed to withdrawal, but neither am I a Yossi Beilin-type asshole who would like to see Israel become a binational state.

  2. Why does one have to contribute monetarily to a Zionist agenda in order to have a say in “the nation of the Jewish people” ?
    Relax, one doesn’t. One has only to contribute monetarily to have a say in the World Zionist Congress. If you don’t believe in a Zionist agenda — you don’t think there is a Jewish people, or you are prepared to accept that one exists but don’t think it should have the right of self-determination — then obviously the WZC is not for you. And obviously any representations they make as to their importance to the Jewish people is something you disagree with. They think they’re vital to the Jewish people. You have other ideas. It’s okay … sometimes people disagree, but they’re still allowed to make their arguments.

  3. Thanks for working to get out the vote. I’ve been trying to convince my friends who aren’t involved in my shul to take the five minutes and vote. A lot of folks don’t know this is even going on or how it can affect them. Especially JBCs who, like me, didn’t convert with an orthodox rabbi.

  4. I’ve said this before, and this is admittedly selfserving, since I’m on the slate, but I think that voting for one of the movement affiliated slates is an excellent use of a vote. Why vote Mercaz or Arza? Because the WZC allocates money. And money going to one of the liberal religious movements in Israel helps them support their institutions, which actually helps non-Orthodox converts, people who want to be married in non-Orthodox weddings, etc. Not only that, but the slates are also fairly moderate in terms of foreign policy (supporting dialogue and compromise), and have a strong sense of Jewish social justice- feeding the hungry, protecting the environment, etc. I think that GZA and Hatikva are both good slates, but consider Mercaz, Arza, and other ones as well if you want to promote a different vision of Zionism and the Jewish state.

  5. Matt: “…but neither am I a Yossi Beilin-type asshole who would like to see Israel become a binational state.”
    When has Yossi Beilin ever advocated a binational state?

  6. Folks: I strongly encourage you to register if you’ve not already done so, and to vote, again, if you’ve not already done so. It is my sense that U.S. Jews who are occasional or frequent readers of JewSchool are underrepresented among those who are already registered, and for this reason alone, many of you should do so. FYI, I have been active in these activities since just after I left college in 1978, when I was one of the foudners of the Mordechai Anielewicz Circle, a young adult group associated with Americans for Progressive Israel (API). Since then, much has happened … and for the purpose of this discussion let me note that API merged with the Education Fund for Israei Civil Rights and Peace, as well as the American Friends of Ratz, to form Meretz USA {website: http://www.meretzusa.org/ }. Meretz USA is part of what used to be called the American Zionist Federation, an umbrella group of virtually all of the U.S. Zionist organizations, left to right, religious to secular. The AZF is now the AZM {website http://www.azm.org/ }.
    And now:
    Hey, John Brown:
    If you’re a U.S. Jew, and want to participate in the selection of the U.S. delegation to the upcoming World Zionist Congress, you don’t have to “contribute monetarily to a Zionist agenda,” all you have to do is register – and pay a small ($7.00) registration fee.
    You don’t even have to be a member of any of the organizations who are running slates for the election.
    See details at the website of the American Zionist Movement here: http://www.azm.org/
    You can find out information on the elections, the different constituent organizations of the AZM, the different slates, and their platforms and the people on their respective slates, etc.
    Hey, Matt:
    About parties that are more moderate, well, take a look at the different slates — and vote for one that best reflects your politics. The more people that register and vote, the more likely that the results will reflect the views of U.S. Jewry. I don’t believe that there is a group called American Friends of Kadimah, but I’m hopeful that you will find one close to your politics.
    I’m glad to learn that you’re “not a right wing nut who is opposed to withdrawal,” although I’m not sure that all oppsed are “right-wing nuts,” but I believe you mischaracterize people who support the basic politics of Yossi Beilin, the leader of Meretz-Yachad. While I can’t speak for all of them, I would suggest that you look at the English-language website of his party — here: http://www.yachadparty.org.il/main-branch/en/
    Let me gently note that those “right-wing nuts” are more likely to let Israel become a binational state than those who support the political approaches of the left-of center parties, such as Avoda/Labor and Meretz-Yachad. But hey, that’s me.
    Hey Leah: You can and should join the rest of us trying to “get out the vote.” I am sure that folks active in teh diverse campaigns/slates can provide you with material that you can share with others.
    Hey, Arie:
    Glad to hear that you’re on a slate. Between you and me, I think that it would be a better use of your vote [you don’t have to vote for the same slate you’re on, but I suppose most do] to vote for the Hatikvah Progressive Zionist Slate. Disclosure: I’m on it.
    But hey, I’d suggest not voting for Mercaz — the Zionist slate of Conservative Judaism — or Arza – the Zionist slate of Reform Judaism. Why? Not that good people aren’t on these slates. And I realize that the WZC allocates money, and that money going to one of the liberal religious movements in Israel helps them support their institutions, which actually helps non-Orthodox converts, people who want to be married in non-Orthodox weddings, etc. Not only that, but the slates are also fairly moderate in terms of foreign policy (supporting dialogue and compromise), and have a strong sense of Jewish social justice- feeding the hungry, protecting the environment, etc.
    However, in my experience – and I’ve been to the last five World Zionist Congresses – it is our delegation that has worked the hardest and the longest to secure legitimacy and respect AS WELL AS DOLLARS for all streams of Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora — I include not only Conservative and Reform, but secular Judaism as well.
    Another more significant factor. Look at the record: the Conservative and Reform movements have in the past few U.S. elections received the overwhelming majority of votes – see the breakdown of the last elections, for instance, here: http://www.azm.org/FAQ.shtml#6
    But the only reason for this is because of the obvious fact that most self-identified Conservative and Reform Jews are associated with congregations, are already on mailing lists, etc … [By the way, that is why the Orthodox slate received the third largest number of votes].
    A few hundred additional votes of liberal / progressive Jews who feel strongly that the Zionist movement should respect all streams of Jewish self-expression in Israel [and abroad], not just the Orthodox, going to the Hatikva slate will greatly strengthen those advocating such politics and economics at the next World Zionsit Congress.
    If you feel that “GZA and Hatikva are both good slates,” then help get a few hundred additional voters to vote for them. Hey, I am on the Hatikva slate, and I have avested interest, but I also have a much stronger political interest, and that is letting liberal and progessive American Jews that would like to “promote a different vision of Zionism and the Jewish state” know that there is a way for them to do so.

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