From October 28-30, Jerusalem will host the 39th World Zionist Congress (WZC), a gathering often described as the “parliament of the Jewish people.” The Congress serves as the supreme legislative authority of the World Zionist Organization (WZO), which was founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897. Over a century later, the Zionist Congress remains a powerful platform where delegates from across the globe debate, vote, and decide on the direction of the Zionist movement, not only in Israel but throughout the Jewish Diaspora.
The 39th Congress comes at a pivotal time for Israel and the Jewish world. It convenes in the shadow of a two-year war with Hamas, the return of the remaining living hostages, and tentative efforts toward Gaza’s “day after.”
But the Congress is not merely reactive. It will make strategic decisions that will affect the allocation of billions of dollars in Jewish philanthropic and national funding, determine leadership for key Zionist institutions, and set the movement’s ideological and policy agenda for the next five years.
Democratic assembly
The World Zionist Congress is a democratic assembly. Up to 500 delegates will attend, with representation divided between Israel (38%), the United States (29%), and other Diaspora countries (33%). The number of delegates each country sends is determined by a special committee that considers both the size of the local Jewish population and the strength of Zionist activism within that community.
After the opening session – featuring an address from the outgoing chairman of the Executive and reports from the WZO’s key institutions – the delegates elect the chairman and vice-chairman of the Zionist Executive, members of the Executive Council, the Zionist General Council and its deputies, the president of the Zionist Supreme Court, the attorney of the WZO, and the comptroller.
Beyond leadership elections, the congress receives detailed reports from these bodies and debates their findings, setting new policies for the next five-year term. Committees review draft resolutions proposed by delegates – on topics ranging from education and culture to sovereignty, the environment, antisemitism, and interfaith relations – and prepare them for plenary votes.
There is also a large budget at stake. The delegates will determine how the Zionist movement’s most influential organizations such as the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), and Keren Hayesod will allocate their resources.
The KKL-JNF alone controls an annual budget of approximately $2 billion, used for projects such as land development, environmental preservation, education, and support for new immigrants. The congress’s decisions on these funds will shape both the physical landscape of Israel and the ideological direction of global Zionism for the next few years.
Zionist world unions
The Congress reflects the diversity of Jewish political thought through its Zionist world unions (ZWUs): international factions that represent ideological streams within the Zionist movement.
To qualify as a ZWU, a movement must have branches in at least five countries. The current unions include: World Zionist Union: The Labor Zionist Movement, Arzenu, Kol Israel - the General Zionist party, and the World Union of Meretz, traditionally representing the progressive and social-democratic wing.; United Faction: Kadima, HaNoar Hatzioni, and MERCAZ: a centrist bloc.; World Mizrachi / Ichud Leumi / Herut / Yisrael Beytenu: Reflecting religious Zionist and right-wing nationalist ideologies.; World Likud and Shas: Anchored in the political right and religious traditionalism.; Hadassah / Confederation: Blending Zionist activism with community engagement and philanthropy.
These factions often mirror the political debates in the Knesset, leading to intense negotiations and alliances that determine who controls key positions in the WZO and its partner institutions.
International Jewish organizations and special status
In addition to the ZWUs, international Jewish organizations (IJOs) are represented in the congress, provided they accept the Jerusalem Program (the ideological platform defining Zionism today as the unity of the Jewish people, the centrality of Israel, and the strengthening of Jewish life globally).
While IJOs have limited voting rights – they cannot vote in leadership elections – they play an advisory role in Congress deliberations. Among them are: B’nai B’rith International; Maccabi World Union; Na’amat; WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization); World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues; World Emunah; World Organization of Orthodox Synagogues & Communities; World Sephardi Federation; World Union for Progressive Judaism; World Union of Jewish Students; Zionist Council in Israel.
Two women’s organizations – WIZO and Hadassah – have special status, granting them full voting rights due to their historical and ongoing contributions to the Zionist enterprise.
Schedule of events
During the opening ceremony of the congress, the chairman of the Executive delivers a keynote address, the presidium is elected, and institutional reports are tabled.
Then comes the political heart of the event: the elections and committee work. Committees meet to refine draft resolutions submitted by delegates. These resolutions then move to the congress plenary, where they are discussed and voted upon.
Resolutions fall into different categories, such as sovereignty and borders (including debates such as this year’s proposal on the “Extension of Sovereignty Over the Temple Mount”); education and remembrance; language and culture; and combating antisemitism (including a 2025 proposal titled “Addressing Antisemitism and Discrimination in Sports.”)
Why it matters
The influence of the WZC is far-reaching. It shapes how billions of dollars are distributed, how Jewish education and identity are promoted worldwide, and how Israel-Diaspora relations evolve.
For delegates, the Congress is also an opportunity to reimagine what Zionism means in the 21st century: not merely the historic return to the Land of Israel, but the ongoing development of a global Jewry.