Friend --
I’m emailing today regarding $5 billion dollars, a 123-year old organization founded by Theodor Herzl and how YOU can give progressives a much bigger say over the future of Israel & what happens in the occupied territory.
At the end of this, you’ll probably have some questions -- so that’s why we’re having a webinar on Wednesday, January 22 to talk about the upcoming World Zionist Congress election.
OK, now for a little background.
Next week, elections begin for the World Zionist Congress, the global organization that helps determine the leadership of some of Israel’s most powerful National Institutions (organizations like the Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Fund) and oversees the annual distribution of the World Zionist Organization’s $1 billion budget. Billion, with a B.
For some time, the World Zionist Congress has been dominated by right-leaning organizations who’ve been able to direct these funds toward the expansion of Israeli settlements and the displacement of Palestinians.
So you can see why these elections matter.
If progressives can break the right’s hold on the WZC, we can help divert that funding away from the entrenchment of the occupation and instead promote coexistence programs, religious pluralism, support for refugees and other social justice priorities. We can also enforce transparency rules over funding not directly controlled by the WZO.
That’s why J Street, the New Israel Fund, APN, T’ruah, NCJW and other leading pro-Israel, pro-peace organizations have banded together to form a powerhouse progressive slate with the potential to transform the WZC.
The HATIKVAH Slate includes J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and several members of our staff. It also includes recognizable names like Randi Weingarten, Peter Beinart, Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Ruth Messinger.
Victory will put our slate in a position to impact the WZO’s policies and $1 billion annual budget for the next five years (that’s the $5 billion number I mentioned in the beginning).
I hope you’re wondering how you can vote.
Any self-identified Jew who lives in the US, is 18 (or will be by June 30), and isn't voting in the upcoming Knesset election can participate.
→ If that DOES describe you, you can vote from January 21 - March 11 at zionistelection.org. The committee overseeing the vote charges $7.50 to register, which helps pay for the election -- the payment does not go to the WZO. The best way to make sure you remember to vote is to register right now on our HATIKVAH Slate website.
→ If that DOES NOT describe you, you can still help by spreading the word. Chances are you know someone who is eligible to vote. Please forward them this email or help amplify our messaging on social media.
Whether or not you’re eligible to vote, this is a momentous undertaking with real implications for the future of Israel and world Jewry. So we hope you’ll join our webinar next Wednesday, January 22 at 2:30pm Eastern, where we’ll go into more detail about our campaign with the lead organizer of this effort, Hadar Susskind.
Those planning to support slates associated with the Reform and Conservative Movements are also encouraged to join, as there will be plenty of information about the elections and the WZC as a whole.
Register for the webinar
Thanks,
Shaina Wasserman
National Director of Rabbinic and Community Engagement
