Delegates divided over WZC direction

Australian delegations have returned from the World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem with divided views on whether the gathering has become overly politicised.

It follows criticism of the global Zionist movement’s political direction last week from Mizrachi Australia’s Danny Lamm.

Australian Friends of Likud President Alex Goodman strongly endorsed Lamm’s criticism, saying the Congress was deteriorating with each gathering.

“I would 100 per cent agree with Dr Danny Lamm of Mizrachi that it’s way too political, and it’s political on so many different levels,” Goodman said.

“I’ve been to two previous congresses, and it seems to be getting worse.”

Goodman said internal party divisions and lobbying for positions were the main issue.

“The politics of the power brokers in worldly court made it their priority to lobby and to win the positions that they were going for, and it overrode the purpose of the Congress.”

Rabbi Chaim Ingram, an Eretz HaKodesh delegate, described his experience as “one of the most perplexing and dispiriting experiences of my life.”

“A once-in-five-years golden opportunity for Jewish leaders to debate the burning Jewish issues and challenges of our time was spurned,” Ingram said.

He said proceedings were dominated by “activist left-wing delegates with so-called pluralist agendas” forcing through “divisive, self-serving resolutions.”

The World Zionist Organisation remains in turmoil over executive positions, with what Ingram called “political machinations, manoeuvrings and counter-manoeuvrings yielding dysfunctional impasse.”

ARZA-Masorti’s Ayal Marek, representing Reform and Conservative streams, defended the Congress’s achievements despite acknowledging political tensions.

“We need to separate between the material issues that were actually debated and decided and the political agendas,” Marek said.

He listed successful resolutions on egalitarian prayer spaces at the Western Wall, national draft reform, combating antisemitism and empowering female leadership.

Marek admitted last-minute political negotiations caused problems when Likud’s Miki Zohar unexpectedly nominated a candidate after agreements had been reached, forcing the Congress to be extended.

“I wish it wasn’t that way,” Marek said. “There was an agreement negotiated, and that’s done in the back rooms.”

The progressive Hatikvah movement’s Nirit Eylon said while the Congress was political, most parties collaborated effectively.

“Yes, it was political. It is a political thing,” Eylon said.

“But in general, I would say it was good to see the majority of parties working together.”

She noted ultra-Orthodox parties failed to pass any resolutions despite increased representation.