Today marks the start of the voting period for the 38th World Zionist Congress.
Ameinu is proud to be a partner in the HATIKVAH Progressive Israel Slate and we are asking you to please take a few minutes right now to cast your vote in support of a powerful progressive Jewish voice in the World Zionist Congress.
As I am sure you know, this is not the “first rodeo” in the Zionist world for Ameinu and Habonim Dror. We and our predecessor Labor Zionist organizations have been involved in this effort since the first World Zionist Congress was held in Basil Switzerland in 1897.
So why is this Congress election different?
There are two reasons:
1. While the World Zionist Congress is often referred to as "The Parliament of the Jewish People,” in recent elections our people have not been showing up to vote. To change that situation, we have brought in many additional progressive Israel groups as full partners into the HATIKVAH slate (complete list at the end of the email). This has created an opportunity for us that is new and exciting.
2. The Trump and Bibi bromance has created a sense that Zionism and Israel represent their joint dystopic world view. Only a strong vote for HATIKVAH will send a message that American Jews are NOT party to that false narrative.
There are those in our camp who suggest that it is best to just ignore these archaic, out of touch institutions. While I am somewhat sympathetic to that point of view…..did you know that the Zionist Congress directly impacts the distribution of one billion dollars in annual budget, touching the lives of Israelis, Palestinians, and Jewish communities around the globe? With elections taking place every five years, your vote will help determine how five billion dollars gets spent!
And on a personal note, I feel very honored to head the HATIKVAH Slate and am joined by 10 other Ameinu staff, board members and leaders on the list.
Voting takes only a few minutes. In order to vote you have to self-identify as Jewish, be over 18 as of June 30, 2020 and live in the US. You also need to be planning on voting in the March election. That's because the Israeli delegation to the Zionist Congress is determined by those votes, so no double counting.
In addition, you need to pay a small processing fee, which pays for the cost of the election. It's not a donation to the World Zionist Organization, HATIKVAH or any other organization. It's $7.50, or $5.00 if you are 25 or under. Lastly, you need to "affirm the Jerusalem Program" as the platform of the World Zionist Organization (WZO). While the language is not how Ameinu necessarily frames Zionism in 2020, clicking on it is simply acknowledging that it is the platform of the WZO, and it is necessary to do so in order to vote.
Below my signature are the steps to vote; please do it today.
Thank you,
