About WZO

Very simple. The WZO owns 100% of Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (KKL), perhaps the most influential nonprofit organization in the world – KKL remarkably owns the majority of inhabited land in Israel! In other words, incredibly, the WZO – World Jewry and NOT the Knesset alone – owns the land itself. The development of land across Israel and the massive budgets associated with these organizations impact a huge array of Jewish life globally and in Israel. The WZO is also a 50% stakeholder in the Jewish Agency which also plays a major role in Israel-Diaspora relations.

Since 40% of the control of this Israeli-based organization is by the Knesset, Israeli politicians have been the dominant force in the WZO. As more Jews make Aliyah and play roles in Israeli-based organizations, things are changing. I personally realized the influence of these organizations in recent years and how transformative their impact can be on the Jewish world. This also explains why there are more new slates who have realized the potential impact.

The spending of over $1 billion per year!

Positions and budgets of tremendous influence directly affecting Jewish life in Israel and around the world, such as:

• Where land is developed in Israel (e.g. will it include East Jerusalem and Gush Etzion)
• Which educational initiatives to support – although KKL is primarily about land development, it has an annual education budget today of 250 million NIS.
• Positions of major influence in the WZO, KKL and Jewish Agency affecting the type of Jewish values in all programming of the National Institutions.

Because it is a coalition of major Religious Zionist-oriented national organizations across the US including: RZA-Mizrachi, AMIT, YU, OU, RCA, Bnei Akiva, NCYI, Touro University, and Sephardic organizations such as Shvilim and UMJCA.

Secured hundreds of millions of dollars for:

• Education – Funding yeshivot, seminaries, MASA gap year programs, campus life and global Jewish education.
• Land Development in Yehuda, Shomron and Key Areas – Direct influence over construction in Gush Etzion, East Jerusalem, and other strategic regions.
• Dispatching 600 Shlichim annually to communities, schools, campuses, and youth movements across the globe.

In the 2020 election, OIC-Mizrachi received 22,700 votes out of 123,000. The assessment is that this time more than 250,000 people will vote. This means that we will need at least 50,000+ votes to maintain and expand our influence.

Every Jewish American citizen or permanent resident whose primary residence is in the US and is over 18 (by June 30, 2025) can vote in the WZO Congress elections once every 5 years.

More slates are running than ever, realizing the staggering influence at stake. Competition is always good but highlights the need to work extra hard to ensure that the unique Religious Zionist voice is heard.

An authentic Torah voice of integration and unity: integration between Judaism and Zionism; Torah learning and army service; between Torah u’Madda; balancing Israel and Diaspora needs.

In a post-October 7 world, Jewish unity is more critical than ever. The Mizrachi movement is deeply committed to the ‘covenant of fate’ as articulated by Rav Soloveitchik, which was what Hamas attempted to shatter. Never before has a voice of integration and unity around our common values been more critical for the future.

OIC-Mizrachi is that future.