The first World Zionist Congress (“WZC”) was convened and chaired by Theodore Herzl in Basel in 1897. One can only imagine what the founder of modern Zionism would think if he was to walk the streets of Israel today. If Herzl was to witness Israel’s cultural, economic and technological strength, the success of the State as an ingatherer of exiles, and its ability to emerge victorious against the most immoral and gravest of political and military threats, he would be truly gratified.
Since that inaugural Congress the WZC has continued and today functions as the legislative authority for the World Zionist Organisation. It is referred to as a “parliament of the Jewish people”. As a bridge between the State of Israel and its Jewish Diaspora, the Congress affirms policy priorities, budget allocation, and determines appointments for the leadership of Israel’s National Institutions. Practically speaking, more than $US1 billion annually is allocated for educational and cultural infrastructure across organisations such as the Jewish Agency, United Israel Appeal (Keren Hayesod), Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet LiYisrael) and others.
The 39th Congress will be hosted in October 2025, and has already been supported by a resurgence of interest and engagement from Jewish communities around the world. There will be 525 global delegates, of which 13 will come from Australia. Governance changes now entail public elections for delegates of the upcoming Congress.
My first exposure to the WZC was as a delegate to the 38th Congress, held online due to COVID, and complemented by an in-person Extraordinary Zionist Congress held Jerusalem in 2023.
I engaged in these events with a great deal of idealism. For those of us who do not currently have the privilege of living in Israel, but wish to support and contribute to its growth and development, involvement in the formal governance mechanisms of world Jewry was what I considered to be the next best thing. In the broader historic context, being able to vote on matters that connect Diaspora Jewry to the Jewish homeland within its first century of reestablishment is a deeply emotive and fulfilling task.
With some reticence I will honestly share that my ideological fervour dissipated somewhat during my first experience as a WZC delegate. For a body charged with the unification of the Jewish people, I became quickly disillusioned by the political influence of domestic Israeli politics that crept into the WZC agenda. From a nation deeply divided by Judicial reform, partisan and anti-democratic procedure stalled an agenda that should have been outward facing as an enabler to the Jewish world. Without being immune to the reality of contemporary Israeli politics, I had still expected better.
Even more-so, I was aghast to find the WZC agenda had become hijacked by other causes.
For example, there were social issues being promoted by progressive American delegates on matters such as sexual orientation, transgender, and other social justice platforms. Whilst these are important issues and open to free expression, I considered they had very little intersectionality with the contemporary Zionist agenda.
Or at the political end, there was something deeply disturbing by observing delegates that had the chutzpah to try and tell Israelis (taxpaying sovereign citizens who also physically defend the State with their national service) what their domestic policies should be on matters of settlement and defence. Whereas all delegates may (and should) have personal opinions, the WZC is not a Knesset plenary on the peace process.
In matters of religion, Israel also balances its status as a democratic secular state inspired by Jewish character. Most Israelis inherently understand that religious pluralism is important and that this must coexist with mutual respect for unwavering matters of traditional halacha. Not every Israeli accepts the halachic definition of “Who is a Jew”, but most support the civil structures of the Jewish state which could be irreparably divided by a change to the status quo. Israel and the Jewish world have a long way to go in reconciling such matters, but the attempts I witnessed to use the WZC to weaponise religious affiliation and Jewish observance were clearly counterproductive.
In the earlier decades of Israel the nation may indeed have been dependent on the counsel, diplomacy, and funds of Diaspora Jewry. But the inverse is the case today. Israel is the centre of the Jewish world. It now stands as economically self-sufficient. In reality Israel sustains the existence and identity of the Jewish people globally, primarily as a net-distributor of educational infrastructure. It is incumbent on the WZC delegates to listen and learn from Israel, and to resist the temptation to impose its alternative values.
That is not to say that delegates should not constructively feed into the deliberations of the WZC. In this regard, I am also able to reflect on my previous experience. Although my chance to be heard as a delegate was all but muted (quite literally on Zoom), I desperately wanted to counter a discussion that was attempting to redefine Zionism with a post-Zionistic ideology by reminding the forum of a salient fact. The Zionist movement does have a formal definition, mission statement and ideological platform that sets out the parameters for discussion. It is called the Jerusalem Program. We seldom revert to this document as a Terms of Reference to focus our debate.
The Jerusalem Program was first adopted by the 23rd WZC in 1958 and most recently amended in 2024. The program stands as the official platform of the Zionist Movement. It reads as follows:
Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, brought about the establishment of the State of Israel, and views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic and secure State of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people for its continuity and future.
The Jerusalem Program’s foundations of Zionism are:
- The unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland, the Land of Israel, and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation;
- Aliyah (emigration) to Israel from all countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli society.
- Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect for the multi-faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.
- Ensuring the future and the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist education, fostering spiritual and cultural values and teaching Hebrew as the national language;
- Nurturing mutual Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism;
- Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism;
- Encouraging recruitment and service in the Israel Defense Forces and the security forces and strengthening them as the protective force of the Jewish people living in Zion, as well as encouraging full National Service for anyone exempted in law from service in the IDF.
Despite my despair with some elements of previous WZC, I was also at the same time inspired by the leadership of the Mizrachi Religious Zionist movement. I was able to observe discussions that genuinely sought a platform for unity and compromise. These are leaders that understand that only a common destiny and plurality within the framework of the Zionist movement can secure our future. They were able to bring about resolution to seemingly intractable stalemates that almost left the business of the Congress unfulfilled. Their dedication and humility was an example of leadership that restored my confidence in the Zionist movement and its future.
Since the last WZC we have been rocked by the 7 October 2023 massacre, and all of the historic events that continue to unfold until today. The resurgence of Jewish identity and demonstration of Jewish unity that has led our people to victory over Iran and its proxies has yet to be fully understood and internalised. History will show this period as a turning point in time. It was the Six Day War in 1967 that led to the reunification of Jerusalem and the awakening of Religious Zionism. It may well be the Twelve Day War in 2025 that leads to the resurgence of Jewish power and global recognition of the mission of the Jewish people.
So, my idealism has returned and it is my hope that the unity following October 7 will hold itself to foster higher standards of conduct by the delegates at the 39th WZC.
I have registered to be a delegate for the upcoming Congress and am standing for election. If you are a Jewish Australian, over the age of 18, I invite you to register and vote for the Orthodox Israel Coalition Mizrachi.
This action will support the Mizrachi network in Australia, with branches in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Institutions such as Bnei Akiva, Torah Mitzion, and broader resources to support Jewish day school education, community infrastructure and Shlichim can directly benefit from our representation at the WZC.
Voting is open from 1 to 27 July, 2025 and can be accessed from https://tinyurl.com/OICMizrachiVote
Please join me in supporting positive and visible Jewish identity for the benefit of our community and its future generations.