Watching this Israeli election from overseas must be quite an experience.
Watching it unfolding here certainly has been confusing enough.
I wonder how many realize that there is another election, a Zionist election, that will have a real impact on the future of Israel and the Jewish world?
And Jews living outside of Israel can vote.
Between now and April 30th, you can register and vote for the World Zionist Congress. Founded in 1897, the World Zionist Congress (WZC) is the legislative body of the World Zionist Organization (WZO.) The WZC holds elections every 4-5 years, electing officers and deciding on the policies of the WZO and the Jewish Agency. It also makes key decisions on the allocation of funds – significant funds that impact Israel and the entire Jewish world.
This year, American Jewry will elect 145 of the 500 delegates to the Zionist Congress, from 11 slates that reflect the diversity of Jewish views on Israel, religion and politics. There are eleven slates for the American part of the WZC this year. Their platforms and the candidates on their slates can be found here: http://www.myselfourisrael.com
Included are Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Zionist parties, the ZOA, a Sephardic party, the New Alliance which advocates for sweeping change in the WZO, left leaning secular parties and and right-leaning secular parties, ,and the “Green Israel” party, advocating for environmental prioritization. There is even a party to represent the voice of Russian American Jewry, with much of their campaign information in Russian.
The rest of the Jewish world has 165 seats. Israel has 190 seats, which will be allocated on the basis of the Knesset election results, since the Israeli WZC representatives are from the Knesset parties. One of the clearest ways that Israel’s Knesset members understand the makeup and opinions of American Jewry is through these slates, and how many seats each is given. So voting sends a clear and real message to Israeli policy makers.
After elections, the WZC will choose officers and set budgets and policies for several major Israeli and international bodies. The allocation of over 400 million dollars a year will be decided, for Jewish education, social services, encouraging Aliyah, strengthening Jewish identity, Jews in areas of risk, fighting anti-antisemitism, supporting settlements (or not!) , religious services and more.
The World Zionist Organization is designated in Israeli law as the formal liaison between the Jewish Diaspora and the Israeli government (together with the Jewish Agency). This is the vehicle through which Jews around the world are officially invited to make their views known to Israel and, in a small way, make policy.
So while Israel votes, American Jewry can vote too. Join the conversation, and have your say in the worldwide Jewish project that is the Modern State of Israel.
For more information or to register and vote, visit “myselfourisrael.com”
