After record turnout, votes are now being tallied in this year’s World Zionist Congress (WZC) election to determine which factions will emerge victorious. Established by Theodore Herzl in 1897 as the founding legislative body of the Zionist movement, the WZC helps direct the policy and funding of legacy Zionist organizations like the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the Jewish National Fund (JNF)—which have been key actors in the process of Palestinian dispossession since the pre-state era. Historically, the American branch of the WZC has been dominated by the Reform movement, but the 2020 election saw Reform’s historic dominance shaken by a surge in support for a newly formed ultra-Orthodox slate, granting the Jewish far right an unprecedented, and slim, majority of seats within the so-called “parliament of the Jewish people.” Against the opposition of a reinvigorated liberal camp, this new leadership has moved to increase funding for settlements, support the Israeli right’s judicial overhaul, and block educational programming promoting religious and cultural pluralism within WZC member institutions. …..more
