Over the past few months, our team was able to achieve many of our goals at the National Institutions. However, there is still much work to be done and achieved In order to strength our movement and our presence at the National Institutions.
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WORLD ZIONIST EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS
April 2023 marks the middle of the World Zionist Congress term. April also marks Israel’s 75th Independence Day. These are the reasons the World Zionist Organization (WZO) decided to hold an extraordinary congress in person in Jerusalem – following the online congress held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
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Over 600 delegates from across the Zionist Jewish world gathered in Jerusalem for a three-day encounter, learning, discussing, and deciding on policies that will shape the work of Israel’s National Institutions until the 39th World Zionist Congress in 2025. The delegates discussed 16 proposed resolutions on different topics, such as the law of return, Israel’s declaration of Independence, antisemitism, the LGBTQA community, gender equality, and more, divided into five committees.
Our delegation, comprised of 50 delegates from across the world, participated in the discussions and led amendments that reflect our values. All proposed resolutions were supposed to be voted on during the Congress. However, the Ultra-Orthodox parties tried, in an outrageous attempt, to stop the voting. They succeeded only partly – instead of voting during the gathering in Jerusalem, the voting was held online afterward.
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In clear message to the Government of Israel, World Zionist Congress passes unprecedented set of resolutions promoting liberalism and pluralism, opposing “judicial overhaul” and harming Law of Return
WZO Vice Chairman Yizhar Hess: “Faced with the most extreme government in Israel’s history, world Jewry has gone on record: Israel must remain a liberal, Jewish and democratic state.”
In online voting conducted between May 21st and 23rd, the World Zionist Congress passed by significant majorities an historically-unprecedented series of resolutions promoting liberal, democratic, and pluralistic values in Israel and the Zionist Movement. Taken together, these resolutions send a clear message to the Government of Israel that the Jewish world demands Israel remain a liberal, Jewish and democratic nation-state of all the Jewish people, and stands firmly against illiberal and anti-democratic elements of its agenda, including the so-called “judicial overhaul” and proposals to undermine the Law of Return.
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Learn from our delegates to the congress about their experiences:
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Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs Past President Tom Sudow | "I have made over 45 trips to Israel and this may have been one of the most difficult ones, for at the Congress I also got a first-hand look at the battle for Israel’s democracy that has overtaken the country in recent months. I was proud to stand with Jews from Israel and around the world, from all backgrounds, to help forge Israel’s next 75 years."
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Masorti Foundation Former President Heidi Schneider | "The work of being a World Zionist Congress delegate proved to me how important it is to engage with Israel on a political level. I tried to do my part as a voice for diaspora Jewry, voting to assure Israel’s future as a vibrant Jewish and democratic state at this pivotal moment in the country’s history."
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MERCAZ Canada President Stan Greenspan | "There are days when one can feel that they have been part of great things and other days where one is overwhelmed by the futility of our actions to stop those bent on destroying our way of life. Yes, it sounds dramatic, but we have seen both ends of these emotions. The largest MERCAZ-Canada delegation ever attended the WZO’s Extraordinary Zionist Congress to mark the 75th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel in Jerusalem from April 19th to 21st. "
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KKL - CELEBRATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
After 2.5 years of intensive work in the science and environment committee, we have successfully established a new department - the Climate Unit.
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This decision marks one of the most significant milestones for our organization in years, as we prioritize the protection of future generations. By taking a leading role in combating the potentially disastrous effects of climate change, which we experience on a daily basis, we aim to safeguard the well-being of our children and grandchildren.
The Climate Unit will spearhead large-scale projects aimed at addressing climate change, offering solutions and alternatives such as renewable energy, innovative technologies, and educational programs to foster environmentally conscious leadership in Israel.
Through our diligent and unwavering efforts, we have successfully advocated for policies, programs, and budget allocations that will make the dream of a better future for our children a reality.
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ISRAEL AFFAIRS
Read below articles by MERCAZ Olami President Rabbi Alan Silverstein on current affairs in Israel and their impact on our movement originally published on The Times of Israel.
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📄 The Legal Significance of Israel’s Declaration of Independence
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Photo: Zoltan Kluger (Public Domain)
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"I recently returned from a month-long stay in Israel, visiting family and attending the 'Extraordinary Session' of the World Zionist Congress. The body’s deliberations included debates between proponents and opponents of the proposed changes in the Israeli judicial system. Often at issue was the meaning of Israel’s 'foundational document,' the May 14, 1948, Declaration of Independence. Regarding Megillat Ha’Atzmaut as a statement containing checks and balances for the securing of human rights, the World Zionist Congress issued a resolution calling for 'anchoring the position of the Declaration of Independence in the Zionist movement.'
What issues are in question?"
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📄 Do not alter Israel’s Law of Return
"One of the resolutions presented at the recent extraordinary session of the World Zionist Congress called upon the Israeli government 'not to amend the Law of Return.'
Authored by Rabbi Mauricio Balter, executive director of MERCAZ Olami and Masorti Olami, the resolution described the Law of Return as 'a festive symbol of Jewish peoplehood at its best, a glamorous, Zionist symbol like no other which defines the collective borders of the Jewish people.'
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Photo: Zoog Productions for The Jewish Agency for Israel
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Israel’s Law of Return was enacted on July 5, 1950, in part as a celebration of the yahrtzeit of Theodore Herzl (z”l), a move affirming Herzl’s passionate commitment to creating a sovereign Jewish state as a safe haven for persecuted Jews fleeing lands of affliction."
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📄 Jewish Peoplehood is an Essential Component of World Jewry's National Institutions
"When I became president of MERCAZ Olami in February 2016, a comprehensive vision of Jewish unity governed the major institutions of the Jewish people — the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael (JNF), and Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal). Substantive disagreements existed among more than a dozen Zionist parties that took part in the elections of the Zionist Congress — the WZO’s supreme legislative authority — held every five years; yet it was clear from the outcomes of those elections that all were committed to forging a 'wall-to-wall' Zionist coalition. All sides understood the benefits of unity, of being inclusive of every type of Jew, every type of Zionist. In fact, every Zionist Congress voter had to affirm the criteria of the 1953 (updated in 1968) Jerusalem Program, which emphasized 'fostering the unity of the Jewish people.'
Regrettably, new 'parties' have entered into the mix that seek to eliminate from the final coalition any factions whose views they disagree with."
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MERCAZ OLAMI | Upholding Masorti/Conservative Zionist Values and Interests in Israel’s National Institutions
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