World Zionist Congress gets underway

The Australian Jewish community’s delegation is heading to Jerusalem next week for the 39th World Zionist Congress.

They are expected to play a significant role in shaping discussions on religious pluralism and diaspora-Israel relations.

Australia’s 14-member delegation, chosen through what Yizhar Hess, Vice Chairman of the World Zionist Organisation, described as “very democratic” elections, brings a uniquely balanced perspective to the 128-year-old Jewish parliament.

The Australian contingent comprises six progressive mandates, six Orthodox representatives, and two Likud supporters – a composition that remarkably mirrors the broader Congress’s even split between centre-left and centre-right factions.

“Australia has a history of having elections for the Zionist Congress. It’s not the case in many other places in the world,” Hess told The AJN, praising the Australian Jewish community’s democratic traditions and engagement.