World Zionist Congress Election Update

We have some very good news to report. Last winter and spring, the FJMC International felt that many of our pluralistic values were at stake in Israel. We mobilized to support Pluralistic Slates in the World Zionist Congress Elections (most specially MERCAZ and ARTZA) and through your efforts were able to send a large delegation to the World Zionist Congress held in October.

Because of your efforts and your votes in the election last spring, the pluralist agenda made significant advances. We were able to get a very positive agreement which bodes well for the next 5 years until the next World Zionist Congress.

In the framework of this agreement, we have delivered on our core promises to you, which we laid out during our election campaigns in over a dozen countries worldwide.

A 50% increase in funding allocation to streams including Conservative and Reform institutions and their programs that will benefit our communities. Both in Israel and worldwide.

• ⁠Increased funding for MERCAZ’s and Artza Zionist and Israel education programming.

• Expanded Conservative/Masorti representation on various boards and decision making bodies that will make funding allocation and policy decisions over the next five years – a result of our 15% increase in representation in the Congress.

• Relative to the previous term, MERCAZ and our pluralistic and liberal partners, including Artza, now hold more of the senior most positions at the national institutions. In the last term, both top positions (KKL Chair and WZO Chair) were held by the right-wing/ultra-Orthodox bloc. In this term, the pluralistic/liberal bloc will hold half. Yair Netanyahu will NOT hold any position that requires political approval of any kind at the national institutions.

• Extremist allies of Itamar Ben Gvir are not included in the agreement and have been marginalized at the national institutions.

• Expanded authority for the WZO Vice Chair (MERCAZ’s senior position in the institutions) and his office, enabling our team to further advance our work and values in the institutions.

• Passed resolutions by wide margins putting the Jewish people on record in favor of an equal draft law in Israel, the formation of an apolitical and impartial State Commission of Inquiry into October 7th, and equal treatment and infrastructure at the Egalitarian Kotel.

These achievements simply would not have been possible without your hard work and support for MERCAZ and Artza during the recent election campaign. We look forward to continuing our work over the coming five year term, and together, continuing to deliver for Pluralistic values and interests.

We look forward to sharing more updates in the weeks and months to come, including on our upcoming post-Congress Zoom briefing on November 23rd.

Thank you again for your support, you made an important difference for the Jewish people.

Sincerely,

Karl Rubin
Tom Sudow
Co-Captains, FJMC International
World Zionist Congress Elections