Uri Davis PDF

Uri Davis
Erstwhile Associate Professor, AL-QUDS University, Jerusalem, Abu Dis, Palestinian

Authority, Palestine & Honorary University Fellow, College of Social Sciences and
International Studies, Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, European Centre for
Palestine Studies, University of Exeter, UK
Family, Democratic Citizenship-vs-Tribe and the State: A Partially Documented

An Indicative Case Study of One Palestinian Arab and One Palestinian not-Arab
Family (the Author's) and the Prospects of Being Buried in a Cemetery that Is
Not Advertised as "Jewish"1
Abstract
The Paper proposes, as an indicative case study, the story of a marriage in one
Palestinian Arab and not-Arab family (the Author's) unfolding in the shadow of
the1967 Israeli invasion and occupation of Palestinian territories (the West Bank,
Gaza Strip and Sliver of Hamma), against the backdrop of 1948 occupied and
ethnically-cleansed Palestinian territories ("Israel proper") and underpinned by 1948
apartheid Israel, to illustrate what happens when an apartheid system interfaces with
a non-apartheid marriage document; and to suggest possible roles of Palestinian
Arab and not-Arab families in the continuing struggle for Palestinian return and
sovereignty.
The Paper's point of departure is correlatively Articles 13 and 15 of the December

1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights2 and Amendment No 1 of the
Amendments to the Constitution of the United States as Ratified by the States:3 4

1 Based on “Family, Democratic Citizenship-‐vs-‐Tribe and the State: A Case Study of One Hybrid Palestinian
Family (the Author's) and the Prospects of Being Buried in the Same Cemetery)”. A raw pre-‐draft and rather
different version of this text was submitted as Work-‐in-‐Progrss Paper at the 37th Annual Conference of the
Israeli Anthropological Association, Session entitled “Passport, Jewish Prenuptial Agreement (Ketubah),
Family and State”, Tzemah, 22-‐23 April 2009 and in final version under the title “Family, Democratic
Citizenship-‐vs-‐Tribe and the State: An Indicative Case Study of a Union in Marriage of One Palestinian Arab
Spouse and One not-‐Arab Spouse (the Author's family) and the Prospects of Being Buried in the Same
Cemetery” at the American Anthropological Association (AAA), 116th Annual Meeting, Washington DC,
29..11-‐12.3.2017.XXXXX.
2 Article 13
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
(I read this article to include the right to be buried in said country).
Article 15
Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
(I interpret this as the right to citizenship).
3 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to o petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
4 The principle of separation of religion from the state (introduced in modern history by the American
Revolution of 1774 and the French revolution of 1789) expanded to include separation of national identity,
tribal affiliation and sexual orientation from the state. I owe the insight of expanding the said principle to
include separation of national identity, tribal affiliation and sexual orientation from the state to the late
Akiva Orr (See, for instance, his "Socialism and the Nation-‐State" in Debate on Palestine, eds. Fouzi Asmar,
Uri Davis and Naim Khader, Ithaca Press & Miftah, London & Kefar Shemaryahu, 1981.
1
Introduction
This Paper is written by a person, who, being aware of the mystery underpinning the
universe, awed by the infinity of the cosmos, amazed at its beauty and order and
sensitive to the voice of his calling – came to appreciate Ludwig Wittgenstein’s
concluding insight in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus to the effect that “Whereof
one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent”5. Since, for a variety of reasons, it is not
possible for me in this Paper to speak of the motive for my decision (a person of
Jewish origin) to declare myself a Muslim, I must remain silent on this matter, and
ask that my privacy in this regard be respected.
Presenting Anthropological “Ego”
In 2008 anthropological “Ego” (namely, the Author) registered his marriage in

Ramallah under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction and in Nicosia under Cypriot and
European Union jurisdiction.
Anthropological “Ego” is I, Doctor Uriel Hyman Davis (known as Uri Davis), father
of four children, and half-step-father of one daughter6 and one grand-daughter, citizen
of the apartheid State of Israel and the alleged constitutional monarchy of the United
Kingdom, UK Passport, Israel (blue) ID Card, born in Jerusalem in 1943 to a settler-
colonial family recognized as "Jewish" under Israeli apartheid legislation; erstwhile
Associate Professor at AL-QUDS University, Institute of Area Studies (IAS), Israel
Studies Programme, Jerusalem/Abu Dis, Palestine; co-Founder of the Exeter-based
Palestine Studies Trust and University Fellow in the College of Social Sciences and
International Studies (Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies/European Centre for
Palestine Studies), University of Exeter, UK; conscientious objector turned draft
resister; political prisoner court marshalled in 1965 by the Nazareth Military Court for
leading local and international protest against apartheid Israel settler-colonial
"Judaization of the Galilee" programme (specifically, against the confiscation of the
private lands of the Galilee villages of Deir al-Asad, Bi'na and Nahf for the
construction of the City of Karmiel announced "for Jews only"; anti-Zionist
Palestinian-Hebrew, critical anthropologist of Jewish tribal and European origin who
in response to the voice of his calling and to Buber’s “What Is to Be done?” (You
shall not withhold yourself)7 added a third name, Truth-seeker, to his two first names
– Anthropological “Ego” is I, member of the Palestinian National Liberation
Movement (FATH) and Observer-Member (and subsequently Full-Member) of the
Palestine National Council (PNC) who resumed ordinary residence in Kefar
Shemaryahu (then Sakhnin, then Ramle, then Jaffa) in the wake of the Israel-PLO
“Oslo Accords”, a divorced person, over 60.

5 Ludwig Wittgenstein (With an Introduction by Bertrand Russell), Tractatus Logico Philosophicus,
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1949.

6 The mother of my second-‐born son remarried in 1989; begat a daughter in 1989; and was widowed in
2002. Her daughter invented a rather useful kinship term to classify her relationship to myself: “half step-‐
father”.
7 Martin Buber, 'What Is to Be Done' (1919), Pointing the Way, (Edited and Translated with Introduction by
Maurice Friedman) Harper Torchbooks, Harper & Row, New York & Evanston, 1963, p 109.
2
Ego's mother tongue is Hebrew (his childhood language spoken at home until the age
of 7), profession language English, and third language Arabic.
In August 2006, in the context of mutual (critical) membership with the FATH, I was
introduced in Ramallah to Latifa Hasan Muhammad Ali (known as Miyassar Abu
Ali), Palestinian-Authority (green) ID Card, a Palestinian-Arab writer and
independent researcher of Muslim tribal origin; born in Bethlehem in 1951 to a family
ethnically cleansed by the army of the apartheid State of Israel from the village of
Maliha, Jerusalem, in the course of the 1948-49 war (the ethnic cleansing of
Palestine/the Palestinian Nakba); recognized as “absentees” under Israeli apartheid
legislation, notably Absentees’ Property Law of 1950; arrived in Ramallah with the
PLO in the wake of the Israel-PLO “Oslo Accords”, a single woman over 50. Our
meeting, introduction and subsequent marriage could not have taken place had they
not been firmly underpinned by a shared commitment to the principle of separation of
religion, tribal affiliation and national identity from the state and to the values of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and FATH membership informed by a
profound sentiment of shared humanity.
On 6 November 2007 (and prior to our marriage) I declared my Islam at the Baqa al-
Gharbiyya Shari’a Court; on 19 August 2008 I and my Palestinian significant other
signed our Certificate of Marriage (‘Aqd al-Zawaj) witnessed by the President of the
FATH Disciplinary Court Rafiq (Abu Shakir) Natshe jointly with member of the
FATH Revolutionary Council Abu Ali Shahin and certified by Advocate Sheikh Ali
Rafi’; on 4 October 2008 we celebrated our marriage in a wedding ceremony with our
Amman-based family; on 8 October 2008 we registered our marriage at the
Municipality of Nicosia; on 2 November 2008 we registered our marriage in the
Ramallah Shari’a Court; on 22 November 2008 we celebrated our marriage with the
London-based family reception, attended inter alia by my children and their mothers.
Our desired plan to celebrated our marriage on 29 November 2008 (the date of the
birthday of my wife) at a reception in Jaffa (where this Author has a flat) with such
members of our family and friends as hold a (blue) apartheid Israeli ID card was
aborted by the refusal of the Israeli occupation authorities to issue a permit my wife to
travel from Ramallah to Jaffa).
Taking as point of departure my four children, “half-step-daughter” and grand-child,
what does the above suggest with reference to “Family, Democratic Citizenship-vs-
Tribe and the State” and the Prospects of Being Buried in the Same Cemetery in the
country of Palestine, ethnically cleansed by political-Zionist militias (prior to 15 May
1948) and occupied by the apartheid Israel army (as of 1948), geographically and
juridically fragmented, segmented and divided under the rule of Israeli Defence
(Emergency) Regulations of 1945 and civilian apartheid legislation?
3
Presenting the Case: In Apartheid Israel a Valid Marriage Certificate is Not Regarded
as Sufficient Proof of Marriage
On 2 December 2008, equipped with my apartheid Israel (blue) ID card (were I am

registered as Garush (Divorced) and with an original copy of my Municipality of
Nicosia marriage certificate, I presented myself at the office of the Director of
apartheid Israel Ministry of Interior in the City of Ramle (the locality cited in my
apartheid Israel ID as my official residence at the time), with the view to updating the
official registration of my personal status from “Divorced” to “Married” on the
strength of the certificate of registration of my marriage in Nicosia. A facsimile of my
apartheid Israel ID Card prior to my marriage and my Nicosia marriage certificate are
given below:
Uri Davis' apartheid Israel ID Card Prior to His Marriage to Miyassar Abu Ali
4
Uri Davis' Municipality of Nicosia Marriage Certificate:
5
Having established the authenticity of my Nicosia marriage certificate, and having
located the name of my wife on the computer on her desk, the Director sent me to see
an official behind one of the counters servicing the public. Seated at the counter
facing the said official I waited patiently while the official again examined my papers;
left her seat to seek advice from the Director; returned to her seat to make a
manipulation on the computer at her work-station; left her seat again to seek further
advice from the Director; returned to her seat to make yet another manipulation on the
computer at her work-station – and repeated this backwards and forwards exercise a
number of times before issuing to me a computer printout known by the Hebrew
language as Sefah (Attachment). Presumably the said backwards and forwards
exercise was generated because the official was at loss how to deal with the strange
and unfamiliar commands that must have appeared on her computer screen.
A facsimile of the Sefah (Attachment) eventually issued to me is also given below:
Uri Davis' apartheid Israel ID Card after Marriage To Miyassar Abu Ali:
As would be noted by those who are able to work with the Hebrew language my
personal status was changed - but it was not changed from “Divorced” to “Married”.
It was changed from “Divorced” to Be-Verur (Under Investigation).
I was advised to come back in six months time.8

8 Upon leaving the offices of apartheid Israel Ministry of Interior in the City of Ramle I phone Miyassar, my
wife. “Well, how did you fare in Ramle”?, she asked. “My official matrimonial status is now ‘under
6
Article 13 of the Jewish Religious Services (Consolidated Version) Law of 1980 has
it that
13.
• (a) The Minister of Religious Affairs is charged with the
implementation of this Law and may make regulations as to any matter relating to
such implementation and, inter alia, regulations as to –
• (1) the appointment of members to a council in place of members
whose seats have fallen vacant;
• (2) elections of town rabbis; for this purpose, "town rabbi" means a
rabbi of a locality which is a municipality or a local council (local rabbi);
• (3) the licensing of societies for the burial of Jews, provided that it
shall be ensured that a licence is granted only to a body which has proved itself able
to make the administrative and financial arrangements necessary for the discharge of
its functions; for this purpose, a local authority and a council shall be regarded as
bodies which have proved themselves able to make arrangements as aforesaid;
• (4) the establishment of Jewish cemetery councils at the request of the
societies dealing with the burial of Jews in the locality or at the request of the local
authority or the council, and the definition of the functions of the cemetery councils.
(http://www.israellawresourcecenter.org/israellaws/fulltext/jewishreliserviceslaw.ht)
Which begs the question of "Who is a Jew?
In a liberal-democratic state, that is: a state whose constitution is informed by the

values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a "Jew" would be any person
who lays claim to the title,9 whereas under Amendment No 2 of 1970 of the Israeli
Law of Return of 1950 the following stipulation was introduced:
Law of Return (Amendment No 2) 1970
1. In the Law of Return, 5710-1950**, the following sections shall be inserted

after section 4:
Rights of members of family
4A. (a) The rights of a Jew under this Law and the rights of an oleh10 under
the Nationality Law, 5712-1952***, as well as the rights of an oleh under any
other enactment, are also vested in a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the
spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild
of a Jew, except for a person who has been a Jew and has voluntarily changed
his religion.

investigation’”, I answered. “Well”, said Miyassar (tongue in cheek), “if you are now my husband ‘under
investigation’ – should I cook for you today or shouldn’t I”? …
9 See my ‘Who Is a Hebrew: A Reading of an Identity Construction: Palestinian Hebrew anti-‐Zionist Jew of
Dual Israeli and British Citizenship’. SAIS Review: A Journal of International Affairs, Paul H Nitze School of
Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Vol XX, No 1, Winter/Spring 2000, pp 107-‐116
and "Being Jewish in the Context of Israel", Dialectical Anthropology (Memorial Issue for Stanley Diamond),
Vol. 19, Nos. 2 & 3, November 1994, pp 211-‐235.

10 An Oleh (an "Ascendant"), namely a person who "ascends" from the lowly mode of existence of diaspora
(Galut) life to the higher mode of existence of life in Israel, can, by definition, be a "Jew" only.
7
(b) It shall be immaterial whether or not a Jew by whose right a right under
subsection (a) is claimed is still alive and whether or not he has immigrated to
Israel.
(c) The restrictions and conditions prescribed in respect of a Jew or an oleh by
or under this Law or by the enactments referred to in subsection (a) shall also
apply to a person who claims a right under subsection (a).
Definition
4B. For the purposes of this Law, "Jew" means a person who was born of a
Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member
of another religion." (http://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/return.htm)
Only "Jews" as defined above can be buried in a "Jewish" cemetery. That seems to be
the case at least with some of the private "Alternative" burial cemeteries, since they
two operate under the Right to Alternative Civil Burial Law of 1996, the applicability
of which is subject to the Jewish Religious Services (Consolidated Version) Law of
1971 (for "Jews" only)
8
Thus, for instance, the Kefar Saba "Alternative" cemetery Menuhah
Nekhonah/Perfect Rest, advertised as "Perfect Rest for All"
(https://www.google.com/maps/place/%22‫מנוחה‬+‫נכונה‬+‫לכולם‬%22,+‫כפר‬+‫סבא‬,+‫משק‬+
‫אוצר‬+1,,+Kfar+Saba,+‫ﺇإﺳﺮﺍاﺋﻴﯿﻞ‬%E2%80%AD/@32.1869004,34.9481659,3z/data=!4m2!
3m1!1s0x151d397d21e826a9:0x55e8bcbca49d73db?hl=ar) is defined as
"Jewish/Civilian" – not "Jewish/Muslim/Christian/Civilian".11
(Photograph Uri Davis, 6.4.2017)

11 Upon my visit there (on 6.4.2017) I was assured by the office of the said cemetery, the a non-‐Jewish
spouse of a Jewish spouse would be buried next to each other (or rather on top of eah other).

In this connection I contacted ITIM: Burial without Religion and Civil Burial
(http://www.itim.org.il/en/burial-‐without-‐religion), who were kind enough to forward to me their list of
cemeteries allowing civilian burial of civil burials and burial of individuals "without religion".
Indicative phone-‐calls (placed on 21.9.2016) to cemeteries for civilian burial of civil burials and
burial of individuals "without religion" in Tiberias, Pardes Hannah and Regional Council Emeq
Hefer respectively, and presenting myself (genuinely) as calling on behalf of a "mixed" couple
(wife not-‐"Jewish" husband "Jewish"), I asked whether their respective cemeteries would allow
husband to be buried next to his wife (or vice-‐versa in the event wife passed away before
husband). The answer was a resounding negative in the first case, a resounding negative in the
second case, and a rather odd answer in the third case, namely (if I understood correctly}: an
arrangement could be devised only of wife passed away before husband did,

Also in this connection, it may be in order to note that an individual "without religion" (Hasar
Dat) under Israeli apartheid legislation is a person subscribing to a faith that is not listed among
the list of religions recognized by the State of Israel, and a person of "questionable religion"
(Mesupaq) is a person that his or her affiliation to Judaism is regarded as questionable by Jewish
orthodoxy(https://www.masorti.org.il/page.php?pid=861)
9
Apartheid Israel has three state-funded sets of segregated confessional courts where
the justices are state appointed: one Rabbinical (for Jew), one Shari'a (for Muslims),
and one Druz (for Druz).12 As to why this should be the case - the answer is rooted at
the core motive of settler-colonial political-Zionist invasion of Palestine "A Land
Without a[n indigenous] People for a [fabricated] People Without a Land".
The slogan was coined by Christian Zionists and introduced into Zionist narrative by
Israel Zangwill, one of the early prominent Zionist Anglo-Jewish writer and political
activist who is quoted to have used the phrase in 1901 in his essay "The Return to
Palestine", New Liberal Review, Dec. 1901, p. 615.).13

12 For reasons, the analysis of which is beyond the scope of this Article, Ecclesiastic courts are not State-‐
funded and their justices are not state-‐appointed.

13 "A Land Without a People for a People Without a Land" is documented to be a distortion of the letter of
Zangwill's original phrase, namely: "Palestine is a country without a people; the Jews are a people without a
country …": (See inter alia: http://www.haaretz.com/news/pen-‐ultimate-‐israel-‐s-‐land-‐for-‐the-‐jews-‐
1.173849)
10
Needless to say that the core message of criminal-against-humanity14 projects such as
settler colonialism to the indigenous people is "You go away" (either by genocide
and/or ethnic cleansing and/or assimilation) and the corollary of such criminal
message is segregation in life (93 per cent of the territory of pre-1967 "Israel proper"
are segregated in law for "Jews" only) as well as in death (segregated confessional
cemeteries) in order to embody the distinction of "the Chosen People".

14 For the International Criminal Court definition of "crimes-‐against-‐humanity see Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court, Article 7:
1. For the purpose of this Statute, "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when
committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with
knowledge of the attack:
(a) Murder;
(b) Extermination;
(c) Enslavement;
(d) Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
(e) Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of
international law;
(f) Torture;
(g) Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form
of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
(h) Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural,
religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as
impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any
crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
(i) Enforced disappearance of persons;
(j) The crime of apartheid;
(k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to
body or to mental or physical health.
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1:
(a) "Attack directed against any civilian population" means a course of conduct involving the multiple
commission of acts referred to in paragraph 1 against any civilian population, pursuant to or in furtherance
of a State or organizational policy to commit such attack;
(b) "Extermination" includes the intentional infliction of conditions of life, inter alia the deprivation of
access to food and medicine, calculated to bring about the destruction of part of a population;
(c) "Enslavement" means the exercise of any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership over
a person and includes the exercise of such power in the course of trafficking in persons, in particular women
and children;
(d) "Deportation or forcible transfer of population" means forced displacement of the persons concerned
by expulsion or other coercive acts from the area in which they are lawfully present, without grounds
permitted under international law;
(e) "Torture" means the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental,
upon a person in the custody or under the control of the accused; except that torture shall not include pain
or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions;
(f) "Forced pregnancy" means the unlawful confinement of a woman forcibly made pregnant, with the
intent of affecting the ethnic composition of any population or carrying out other grave violations of
international law. This definition shall not in any way be interpreted as affecting national laws relating to
pregnancy;
(g) "Persecution" means the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to
international law by reason of the identity of the group or collectivity;
(h) "The crime of apartheid" means inhumane acts of a character similar to those referred to in paragraph
1, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one
racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that
regime;
(i) "Enforced disappearance of persons" means the arrest, detention or abduction of persons by, or with
the authorization, support or acquiescence of, a State or a political organization, followed by a refusal to
acknowledge that deprivation of freedom or to give information on the fate or whereabouts of those
persons, with the intention of removing them from the protection of the law for a prolonged period of time.
(http://legal.un.org/icc/statute/99_corr/cstatute.htm)

11
Why would an official at any office of the Ministry of Interior of any given state that
is a member of the United Nations Organization decline to register a citizen as
married upon presentation of an original, authentic legal certificate of marriage and
instead register his or her personal status as “under investigation”, rather than register
them as married there and then? 15
United Nations Organization. The state of Israel is an apartheid state. The official at
the office of the Ministry of Interior who processed my application to have my
personal status changed from “Divorced” to “Married” is not an official at a Ministry
of Interior of a western liberal-democratic state, namely a state governed by a liberal-
democratic constitution informed by the values of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in conformity to the standards on international law – but an official at a
Ministry of Interior of an apartheid state regulating in law and by Acts of Parliament
(Knesset) an apartheid distinction, not (as in apartheid South Africa) between
“Whites” versus “non-Whites”, but rather between “Jews” versus “non-Jews”, and
enforcement, since 1948.16

15 The fact that questioning of the genuineness of a marriage by state officials is also increasingly
common in the xenophobic context of modern Europe is hardly relevant, since xenophobic questioning
the genuineness of a marriage in the context of a state governed by a liberal democratic constitution is a
different "kettle of fish" relative to xenophobic questioning the genuineness of a marriage in the
context of a state governed by apartheid legislation. Less than six months later I was issued a new slip
classifying my personal status as "Married". Had apartheid Israel Ministry of Interior declined to classify my
personal status as "Married", on the strength of my Municipality of Nicosia Marriage Certificate I would not
have hesitated to take the case to the relevant European Union courts, seeking an injunction on the grounds
of apartheid Israel Ministry of Interior's refusal to recognize a valid EU document and requesting that
sanctions be applied against the rogue State of Israel. Given my anti-‐apartheid/anti-‐Zionist reputation over
the past decades, it may very well be the case that the cognizance of this possibility facilitated the welcome
result.
16 For detailed explication and as an indicative title see my Apartheid Israel: Possibilities for the Struggle
within, Zed Books, London 2003 and for an indicative Paper my “Equal Citizens Under the Law? Unequal
Citizenship and Nullification of Property Rights for Palestinian-‐Arabs Under Israeli Law” (Paper submitted
before the Commission on Ethnic Relations, “Israel from an Anthropological Point of View”, the XVth
Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Florence, Italy, 5-‐12 July
2003).
12
Correlatively an apartheid hierarchy of four classes of citizenship has been established
beginning with:
(1) first-class Israeli citizenship for persons classified inter alia in the Law of Return
of 1950 as “Jews”;
(2) second-class citizenship for persons classified as “non-Jews” (first and foremost
Palestinian-Arab citizens of apartheid Israel);
(3) third-class citizenship for Palestinian-Arab citizens of apartheid Israel classified
under Absentees’ Property Law of 1950 as “Present-Absentees” (some 0.3 million of
internally displaced Palestinian-Arab persons inside the state of Israel),
And
(4) nullified Israeli citizenship for persons ethnically cleansed from their home
localities in Palestine in the course of and in the wake of the 1948-49 war likewise
classified under Absentees’ Property Law also of 1950 as “Absentees”, namely:
currently some 5-6 million 1948 Palestinian refugees whose families have been
ethnically cleansed by political-Zionist militias (prior to 15 May 1948) and by the
Israeli army (as of 1948).17
Under Israeli apartheid legislation, my Palestinian significant other is apparently
allowed to marry me (a first-class citizen of apartheid Israel) abroad – but not, it
seems, share my flat in Jaffa or sleep with me (at least not until the probe satisfies
authorities we shall not adversely tilt the shaky political-Zionist "demographic
balance" in "Israel proper").18

17 For detailed explication see my Citizenship and the State in the Middle East: Approaches and Application
(co-‐ed with Nils Butenschon and Manuel Hassassian), Syracuse University Press, New York, 2000 as well as
previous Papers submitted at former IAA annual conferences, namely, “Jinsiyya Versus Muwatana: The
Question of Citizenship and the State in the Middle East -‐ The Case of Israel and the Palestinian-‐Authority”
(Paper submitted before the annual conference of the Israel Anthropological Society, Maaleh ha-‐Hamishah,
19-‐20 March, 1997); “Opening [Convener’s] Remarks”, Panel on 1948 Palestine Refugees, Session A (Annual
Conference of the Israeli Anthropological Association, Jerusalem Hyattt Regency Hotel, May 24, 2000);
“Citizenship, the State and the Right to private Property: The Case of Israel, the EU and the 1948 Palestine
Refugees” (Paper submitted at the Annual Conference of the Israeli Anthropological Association, Tel Aviv
University, 6-‐7 May 2001); and “Equal Citizens Under the Law? Unequal Citizenship and Nullification of
Property Rights for Palestinian-‐Arabs Under Israeli Law” (Paper submitted before the Commission on
Ethnic Relations, “Israel from an Anthropological Point of View”, the XVth Congress of the International
Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Florence, Italy, 5-‐12 July 2003).
18 My marriage to my Palestinian significant other is my fourth spousal engagement in forty-‐three years. I
met and fell in love with each one of the worthy mothers of my children in the course of my commitment to
the voice of my conscience (my "Buberian" calling) in defence of human rights, and being a citizen of
apartheid Israel, in defence of Palestinian rights in the first instance. I believe each of my first three
marriages terminated largely because I was neither willing nor able to reduce my commitment to my calling
after my children were born. The issue will most probably not mar my present union as at 55 my significant
other is unlikely to beget children.
13
Taking the anthropological Ego above (namely, my fatherhood) as point of
departure19:
• What does the above imply for my children, my “half step-daughter”, and my
grand-daughter, assuming they would all wish to be buried as close as possible to the
grave of their father in Palestine?
And
• What does the above suggest with reference to inter-relationship of “family,

democratic Citizenship-vs-Tribe and state” in respect to apartheid Israel and the future
of the country of Palestine, ethnically cleansed by political-Zionist militias (prior to
15 May 1948) and by the Israeli army (as of 1948) and geographically and juridically
fragmented, segmented and divided under the rule of Israeli Defence (Emergency)
Regulations of 1945 and civilian apartheid legislation?
This Paper aims to partially address the questions above, as well as the potential role
of Palestinian Arab and not-Arab families in the continuing struggle for Palestinian
return and sovereignty (for elucidation of the core terms of this Paper see Appendix).
What does the above imply for my off-spring?
At the time of writing I have four children, one half-step daughter and a grand-
daughter. There are six intertwined tribal primordial/tribal affiliations relevant to the
history of my children, my half-step daughter and my grand-daughter. My first-born
son affiliated to the Jewish tribe; my second-born son to the Calvinist and the Jewish
tribes; my third-born son to the Lutheran and Jewish tribes; my forth-born daughter
(twin-sister of my third-born son) also to the Lutheran and Jewish tribes; and my
grand-daughter to the Calvinist, Catholic and Jewish tribes. All four children born
from my loins are furthermore affiliated through the marriage of their father to the
Muslim Sunni tribe, whereas my half-step daughter is affiliated to the Calvinist and
Church of England tribes. Being born to the anthropological Ego above (namely, the
Author), their inter-twined primordial/tribal affiliation represents their multi-cultural
heritage.
Additionally, there are eight different citizenships distributed among my four children
and one half-step daughter: Israeli, British, Dutch, Finnish, Jordanian, Spanish,
Croatian and American, which means that there are eight member states of the UN
Organization where (in different combinations) my children my half-step daughter
and my grand-daughter have the right of abode, do not require work-permit and have
the right to be buried.

19 Needless to say that had my children's mothers been my point of departure, this Article would have taken
different, and rather interesting, directions. In this connection it is significant that all of my children and the
mothers of my children ended up living in countries other than the war-‐torn Palestine. I have no answer to
the question as to why and how some people which some people are able (nay, are compelled by the voice
of their conscience) to go against the grain in pursuit of an ethical life, despite the overwhelming forces that
make this difficult. As to the story of the indicative case of this Author see the first five chapters of his
political autobiography, Crossing the Border: An Autobiography of an Anti-‐Zionist Palestinian Jew, Books &
Books, London, 1995 (http://www.uridavis-‐official-‐website.info).
14
But what could be a common democratic citizenship-vs-tribe for my children
including my half-step daughter and my grand-daughter such as would regard all
seven of them as persons on an equal footing, namely, as persons entitled to common
citizenship on an equal footing assuming they would all wish to be buried in the same
cemetery as close as possible to the location of the grave of their father in Palestine20
I submit that there is only one term that satisfies the bill: Palestinian democratic
citizenship. Such democratic citizenship does not exist, since a sovereign State of
Palestine as yet does not exist.

20 The location of my grave in Palestine is determined in my Last Will and Testament as follows:

2 (a) I desire that my body shall be offered for transplants or other organ donations;
(b) I wish that if I die before my Wife Latifa Hasan Muhammad Ali (known as Miyassar Abu Ali) ("my said
Wife" and I direct that all references to "my said Wife" in this Will shall be construed and have effect as
references to the said Latifa Hasan Muhammad Ali) then all arrangements for my burial shall be made in
accordance with her directions at her sole discretion;
(c) I wish that if my said Wife dies before me then my body shall be buried in the Palestinian Arab village of
Deir al-‐Asad in the Galilee until such time as my home village of Kefar Shemaryahu is liberated from Zionist
apartheid legislation whereupon I wish that my remails be transferred to the Jewish cemetery of Kefar
Shemaryahu as close as possible to the to,stone of my parents.
15
What does the above imply for inter-relationship of “family, democratic citizenship vs
nationality and state” in the context of apartheid Israel and the issue of the future of
the country of Palestine?
In the view of this Author, insofar as inter-relationship of “family, democratic

citizenship-vs-tribe and state” with reference to apartheid Israel and the future of the
country of Palestine are concerned, a decent future for the country of Palestine and for
the apartheid State of Israel would involve the defeat of settler-colonial political-
Zionism in Palestine, namely: the dismantlement of the bundle of strategic apartheid
legislation passed by apartheid Israeli sovereign, the Knesset, since the establishment
of the state of Israel21 notably, in the context of this Paper, Section 5 of the Jewish
Religious Services Law (Consolidated Version), 1971 (The Alternative Burials Law
of 1996 notwithstanding).
Furthermore, to my mind, the implementation of all UN resolutions relevant to the

question of Palestine (including Resolution 181(ii) of 1947 and Resolution 194(iii) of
1948) – but, needless to say, not in their political-Zionist interpretation, rather in their
international law and UN interpretation – including, notably the right of all families of
1948 Palestine refugees (laji'in), 1967 expellees (nazihin) and internally displaced
persons (IDPs) and their descendents to return and the re-possession of their rights to
the titles of their properties in all parts of historical Palestine is likely to entails the
nullification of Israeli apartheid legislation and its replacement with a liberal-
democratic constitution guaranteeing equality of individual and collective rights to all
and offers an opportunity for living together (and being buried together as a family)
on an equal constitutional footing in a truly democratic, egalitarian and just regime for
all inhabitants of this country under the sovereignty of one democratic state (ODS),
tri-lingual (Arabic, Hebrew and English), federal (and hopefully socialist), a state
informed by the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and conducting
its business in conformity to the Charter of the UN, in conformity with all UN

21 The core of the strategic Israeli apartheid legislation was put in place in the first odd decade after the
unilateral establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. In the wake of the signing of the 1949 armistice
agreements between the newly founded State of Israel and its neighbouring Arab countries, it very quickly
became apparent that the status of, iner alia, the WZO, JA and JNF, the scaffold that underpinned the
establishment of the State of Israel, needs to be formalized now that the “Jewish state” came into being.
It was quickly appreciated that regularizing the status of, inter alia, the WZO, JA and the JNF under Israeli
law could provide the newly established state an effective platform to project itself internally and externally
as “the only democracy in the Middle East”, constructing a two tier legal system with the view to veiling the
apartheid (regulation of racism through Acts of Parliament) at its core.

The Acts of the Israeli Parliament (the Knesset) strategically underpinning Israeli core apartheid were
formulated and passed in the first decade or so following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 –
well before the 1967 war and the subsequent illegal occupation by Israel of additional territories, in blatant
violation of UN Security Council resolutions. These strategic Acts of the Israeli Parliament include:
• Law of Return; Absentees Property Law; Development Authority Law, all of 1950;
• World Zionist Organization -‐ Jewish Agency Status Law of 1952;
• Keren Kayemeth Leisrael (Jewish National Fund) Law; Land Acquisition (Validations of Acts and
Compensation) Law, both of 1953;
• Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Zionist Executive, also known as the
Executive of the Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel of 1954;
• Prescription Law of 1958;
• Basic Law: Israel Lands; Israel Lands Law; Israel Lands Administration Law, all of 1960;
• Covenant Between the Government of Israel and the Jewish National Fund of 1961.
•
16
resolution on the question of Palestine and in conformity with the standards of
international law – in other words, a tri-lingual Democratic Federal Republic of
Palestine (DFRP), member-state with the United Nations Organization and consisting
of three tri-lingual components (Wilayat): the tri-lingual 1947 “Arab state of
Palestine”, the tri-lingual 1947 “Jewish (or better, Hebrew) state of Palestine” and the
tri-lingual 1947 City of Jerusalem as corpus separatum under a special international
regime administered by the United Nations, with all three components subordinate to
Palestinian federal sovereignty, a liberal-democratic constitution, and a single
Palestinian citizenship, let alone a single Palestinian currency (economic union).
It would then be incumbent upon all those who are committed to the principle of
separation of religion from the expanded to include separation of national identity,
tribal affiliation and sexual orientation from the state to apply their best endeavours to
have the said DFRP also socialist.
What future for Palestine?
The PLO's position, at least since the Declaration of Independence of the State of
Palestine by the 19th Session of the PNC in Algiers in 1988, is that the body of UN
resolutions relevant to the question of Palestine taken as a whole represents an
important defence of Palestinian rights, and, subject to the values of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the standards of international law, constitutes the
best available frame of reference for a just and durable solution of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, representing a reiteration of its commitment to the terms of
international legitimacy and the standards of international law.22
Thence, the paradigm of ODS above would accommodate the continued existence of
a "Jewish state" (within the 1947 borders) – but not in its political-Zionist
interpretation, i.e., devoid of sovereignty. Since the political-Zionist/apartheid Israel
interpretation of sovereignty has long proved to be a criminal-against-humanity, the
UN could do worse than divest it of the sovereignty it had granted it as Full-Member
State to the UN in 1949, as a "peace loving State".

22 The National Council also renews its commitment to the United Nations resolutions that affirm the right
of peoples to resist foreign occupation, colonialism, and racial discrimination, and their right to struggle for
their independence, and reiterates its rejection of terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism,
affirming its commitment to previous resolutions in this respect and the resolution of the Arab summit in
Algiers in 1988, and to UN resolutions 42/195 of 1987, and 40/61 of 1985, and that contained in the Cairo
declaration of 1985 in this respect.
17
With the defeat of settler-colonial political-Zionism in Palestine, the identity cards of
a citizen of the tri-lingual (hopefully socialist) Democratic Federal Republic of
Palestine (DFRP) in all parts of historical Palestine whose family language is Arabic
will read:
Citizenship: Palestinian Language Group: Arab
And that of a DFRP citizen whose family language is Hebrew will read:
Citizenship: Palestinian Language Group: Hebrew
And that of a DFRP citizen whose family language is English23 will read:
Citizenship: Palestinian Language Group: English
However, without international anti-apartheid solidarity support, such as a boycott of

Israeli industrial and agricultural products, of education, cultural and sport institutions
in the State of Israel, and international economic sanctions against Israel such as were
directed until 1990 towards the apartheid Republic of South Africa, under the terms of
the 1973 International Covenant on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of
Apartheid, internal resistance to Israeli apartheid could probably not revoke the legal
foundation of the reality of apartheid in the country of Palestine.
Had the tri-lingual S/DFRP been declared today, its citizenry would not be 8-10 but
some 17-20 million strong: comprising all citizens of the apartheid State of Israel, all
1948 Palestine refugees (laji'in), 1967 expellees (nazihin) internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and all residents in the post 1967 occupied territories of the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip and their descendents.
Possible role of Palestinian Arab and not-Arab families in the continuing struggle for
Palestinian return and sovereignty
A possible role for such Palestinian Arab and not-Arab families as illustrated above is
to contribute to transforming the official definition of “Who is a Palestinian”. Two
such definitions currently exist:
First, the definition in Articles 5 and 6 of the Palestinian National Covenant:
Article 5
The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in
Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or have stayed there.
Anyone born, after that date, of a Palestinian father - whether inside Palestine or
outside it - is also a Palestinian.
Article 6
The Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist
invasion will be considered Palestinians. (Based on
http://www.mideastweb.org/plocha.htm).

23 For instance, children born in Jerusalem to a family of an English speaking Church of England clergy.
18
And second, the definition in Article 7 of the 1995 Palestinian-Authority Elections
Law (1995 Palestinian National Authority Law nº 15, Relating to the Elections Issued
in Gaza, on 7 December 1995 of the Nativity 14 Ragab 1416 of the Hijri)
Article 7
For the purpose of this law, a Palestinian is a person who:

a. Was born in Palestine, as defined by the territory covered by the British Mandate,
or had a right to Palestinian citizenship according to the laws in force at that period;
b. Was born in Gaza or in the West Bank, including Jerusalem;
c. Irrespective of place of birth, has one or more direct ancestors that meet the
requirements of paragraph (a) above;
d. Is the spouse of a Palestinian who meets the mentioned requirements;
e. Has not the Israeli citizenship
(Based on http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/downloads/1995-elections-law. pdf)
The significance of Palestinian Arab and not-Arab families in the continuing struggle
for Palestinian return and sovereignty is in their modest contribution to transforming a
"Palestinian” as defined above to a Palestinian citizen of a Palestine liberated from the
yoke of political-Zionist settler colonialism and the cruelty of Israeli apartheid,
namely, a slight change to paragraph "e" of the above: Holds an Israeli citizenship.
Only thus and should they wish to, could my children, grandchild and "half-step-
daughter" be buried by my side.
For this to happen, however, the Constitution of the Socialist/Democratic Federal

Republic of Palestine would need to establish the principle of non-discrimination by
opening State religious cemeteries to burial of all denominations, in addition to
creating new indiscriminate cemeteries, while providing private religious ceremonies
where requested.
19
Summary Biographical Note 2017
Dr Uri Davis is a Palestinian of the Hebrew language group, citizen of the alleged
constitutional monarchy of the UK and of the apartheid State of Israel, born in
Jerusalem in 1943. He has been at the forefront of the defence of human rights in
Israel, notably Palestinian rights, since 1965 and has pioneered critical research on
Zionism and the State of Israel since the mid-1970. As a PhD Graduate of the
Department of Anthropology, the New School for Social Research he has published
extensively in these fields (additional to numerous research and conference papers),
including Israel: An Apartheid State (Zed Books, London 1987 & 1990; abridged
edition, MRN, Laudium, 2001); (associate author with Walter Lehn, author), The
Jewish National Fund. Kegan Paul International, London and New York, 1988;
Citizenship and the State: Comparative Study of Citizenship Legislation in Israel,
Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon (Ithaca Press, Reading, 1997); Citizenship and
the State in the Middle East: Approaches and Applications (co-ed) (Syracuse
University Press, 2000) and most recently Apartheid Israel: Possibilities for the
Struggle Within (Zed Books, London, 2003; abridged Arabic edition, Dar al-Sorok,
Amman & Ramallah, 2015); (with Ricky Romain), A Secular Anti-Zionist
COMPANION of an Abridged Passover Haggadah (forthcoming).
Dr Uri Davis is member of the Revolutionary Council of the Palestinian National

Liberation Movement (FATH); Secretary of the Revolutionary Council Political
Committee; and Member of the Palestine National Council (PNC); erstwhile
Associate Professor at AL-QUDS University, Institute of Area Studies (IAS), Israel
Studies Programme, Jerusalem/Abu Dis, Palestine; co-Founder of the Exeter-based
Palestine Studies Trust and University Fellow in the College of Social Sciences and
International Studies (Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies/European Center for
Palestine Studies), University of Exeter, UK; member of the Middle East Regional
Committee of the international Journal Citizenship Studies; critical member of the
Israeli and American Anthropological Associations; Honorary Member of the Mental
Health Families and Friends Society, Ramallah, Palestine; and Chairperson of (since
his election to FATH Revolutionary Council the now latent) AL-BEIT: Association
for the Defence of Human Rights in Israel.
20
APPENDIX
Definitions of key terms:
Family
The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition) 1989 has, inter alia, the following
definitions of the family:
2. a. The body of persons who live in one house and/or under one head, including
parents, children, servants, etc.
3. a. The group of persons consisting of the parents and their children, whether
actually living together or not; in wider sense, the unity formed by those who are
nearly connected by blood or affinity.
4. a. Those descended and/or claiming descent from a common ancestor: a house,
kindred, lineage.
5. transf. and fig. (with mixed notion of 3 and 4). A brotherhood and/or group of
individuals and/or nations bound together by political and/or religious ties.24
State Sovereignty
A state is recognized as sovereign if at least one of the divisions of its security forces
is officially classified as army (as distinct from police or gendarmerie) patrolling its
international borders and border crossings.25
Citizenship
Citizenship is a datum, a document attesting to the common status of the individual
citizen to equal access to the resources of the state, notably: equal access to the civil
resources of the state (e.g., courts of law); the power-political resources (e.g., the vote
and elections); social services resources (e.g., welfare and education); and (added by
the Author), notably in, material resources (e.g., land and water) as well as sharing
equally in all rights. Such documents are recognized by the international community
of States as attesting to citizenship only if issued by sovereign states.26

24 Based on
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50082058?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=family&first=1&
max_to_show=10)

25 Based on Uri Davis, Citizenship and the State: A Comparative Study of Citizenship Legislation in Israel,
Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, Ithaca Press/Garnet Publishing Ltd, Reading, 1997.
26 Based on T H Marshal and T Bottomore (eds) Citizenship and Social Class, Pluto Press, London, 1992.
21
Tribe
In anthropology a tribe is a notional form of human social organization, having
temporary or permanent political integration, and defined by traditions of common
descent and/or language and/or culture and/or ideology27, namely, an "imagined
community" (taking a part of Benedict Anderson's definition of a "Nation") –
imagined, because “members will never know most of their fellow members … yet in
the minds of each lives the image of their communion”. 28 In this regard, I wholly
reject Ernest Gellner's definition of "Nation" and "Nationalism"29 and tend to accept
Stanley Diamond's and Morton Fried's analysis of the concept of "tribe" in relation to
civilization and the modern state.30
Palestine
The country of Palestine is the territory mandated to His Britannic Majesty by the
Council of the League of Nations in 1922 (otherwise known as "Historical Palestine".
(See map below).
http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Maps/Story583.html

27 Based on http://www.britannica.com/topic/tribe-‐anthropology

28 Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism,
London and New York: Verso, 1983.

29 "Nationalism is primarily a political principle, which holds that the political and the national unit should
be congruent", Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism, Blackwell, Oxford, 1983, p. 1.

30 Stanley Diamond, In Search of the Primitive: A Critique of Civilization, Transaction Books, New
Brunswick, NJ, 1974; Morton Fried. The Notion of Tribe, Cummings Publishing Company, Menlo Park,
CA,1975.

22
Political-Zionism
Political-Zionism is a settler-colonial movement founded at the First Zionist Congress

convened in the Swiss city of Basle in 1897, in response to European anti-Jewish
racism (“anti-Semitism”) by aiming to establish in the country of Palestine initially “a
publicly and legally assured home” for the "Jewish people", and subsequently a
sovereign state, a “Jewish state”, the State of Israel, that will attempt to secure in law
and in practice a demographic majority of ethnic "Jews" (persons of Jewish “race or
descendency”, that is of Jewish tribes) in the territories under its sovereignty and
control, that is, an apartheid state. Some 50 years later the said State of Israel was
declared established and admitted as a Full-Member State with the UN General
Assembly.31
Zionist Institutions
Partially overlapping the State of Israel Government Ministries and Departments,
political-Zionist institutions (voluntary until the establishment of the State of Israel
in1948 and, since 1952, parastatal institutions regulated in law, that is, by Acts of
Parliament/the Israeli Knesset) have been chartered by the State to institutionalize and
operationalize superior rights exclusively (exceptions notwithstanding) for people
classified in law as “Jews” inside Israel. These institutions - the World Zionist
Organization (WZO), the Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel (JALI), the Jewish
National Fund (JNF) and their affiliates (notably, the United Israel Appeal/the
Foundation Fund) - have institutionalized the concept of the ethnic (or better: tribal)
Jew as “the Jewish people” (of “Jewish race or descendency”).32
The official platform of the World Zionist Organization and the Zionist movement is
directed to bestow discriminatory privilege on members of these tribal groups self-
defined as a "Jewish people" in political-Zionist parlance. Since the establishment of
the State of Israel in 1948, they largely control land, natural and human resources and
development planning inside Israel-controlled territories for “Jews” only.33.

31 Based on Uri Davis, Apartheid Israel: Possibilities for the Struggle Within, Zed Books, London 2003.
32 As asserted in the Jewish National Fund Charter, Article 3(c).

33 The term “Jew” or any of its derivatives when referred to in quotes designates the political-‐Zionist
interpretation of “Who is a Jew”.

23
For the Structure of the WZO see the National Institutions: Structure and
Functions below:
The World Zionist Organization

The National Institutions: Structure and Functions
Forward [Sic]
Table of Contents
Forward [Sic]
Introduction
Turning points in the activities of the World Zionist Organization
Stages in the history of the Congresses
The Institutions of the Zionist Movement
The Zionist Congress
The Zionist General Council
The Presidium of the Zionist General Council
The Executive of the World Zionist Organization
The Zionist Federations
The Judicial Bodies
The Zionist Supreme Court
Attorney of the World Zionist Organization
The Comptroller of the World Zionist Organization
The Zionist Archives
Zionist Bodies set up following decisions of the Zionist Congresses
The Jewish Colonial Trust
Keren kayemeth Le'lsrael (Jewish National Fund)
Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal
The Jewish Agency for Israel
The Joint Authority for Jewish Zionist Education
Appendixes
List of the Zionist Congresses
Presidents of the World Zionist Organization
Chairmen of the Zionist General Council
Chairmen of the Zionist Executive
Chairmen of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors
World Chairmen of KKL-JNF
Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal
Managing Directors, Presidents, Presidium, Chairmen
The Basel Program
The Jerusalem Program, 1951
The Revised Jerusalem Program of 1968
The Duties of the Individual Zionist
The World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel (Status) Law
Covenant between the Government of Israel and the World Zionist
Organization
Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel
Agreement for the Reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel
24
Report to the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel on the
reation of a Joint Authority for Jewish-Zionist Education as amended by the
Jewish Agency Assembly, June28 1990
Covenant made between the State of Israel and Keren kayemeth Le'Israel
Forward [Sic]
To mark the centennial of the First Zionist Congress held in Basel and the founding of
the World Zionist Organization there, and in wake of the
Government decision to declare 1996-97 as the “Year of Zionism”, the Department of
Organization and Community Relations and the Secretariat of the
Zionist General Council have promoted the publication of this booklet. This
publication presents the processes in the organizational development of the
World Zionist Organization, including the other National Institutions: The Jewish
Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (Jewish National Fund) and
Keren Hayesod.
We hope that study of this publication will contribute to an understanding of the

processes related to the activities of the National Institutions, from the time of their
establishment until the present day.
We have seen fit to distribute this work among the various bodies in the State of Israel
and the Diaspora which are connected with the activity of the
National Institutions and which will take part in a variety of programs related to the
Year of Zionism events.
Rami Komblum
Secretary of the Zionist General Council
Introduction
The World Zionist Organization constitutes the organizational arm of the Zionist
Movement. The bulk of its work is in the Diaspora, where it seeks to preserve and
strengthen the Jewish people. All the Zionist Federations which accept the "Jerusalem
Program" and the Constitution of the World Zionist
Organization, the Zionist World Unions and the international Jewish organizations are
members of the World Zionist Organization.
The supreme organ and the legislative authority of the World Zionist Organization is
the Zionist Congress which convenes once every four years. In pursuance of the
Constitution of the World Zionist Organization, elections are held prior to the
Congress in all the countries, except for Israel, where the representation is determined
in accordance with the relative strength of the Zionist parties in the last Knesset
elected prior to the opening of the Congress.
The Congress elects the office-holders of the World Zionist Organization, who are:
the Chairman of the Zionist Executive, the Zionist Executive, the Zionist
General Council, the President of the Zionist Supreme Court, the World Zionist
Organization Attorney and the Comptroller.
25
The Zionist General Council, elected by the Zionist Congress, considers and decides
upon all matters relating to the World Zionist Organization and its
institutions in the inter-Congress period. In so far as is necessary, it decides upon the
manner in which the Executive will implement the decisions of the
Congress and the Council.
In general, one Session is held yearly. In exceptional cases, the Zionist General
Council resolves on the holding of an additional Session.
The Presidium of the Zionist General Council is elected by the Zionist General
Council. The Presidium meets approximately once monthly, and its role is to
determine, in consultation with the Executive, the date of the Zionist General Council
Sessions. The Presidium represents the Zionist General Council and
is empowered by the Zionist General Council to deal with matters transmitted to it by
the Zionist Congress or the Zionist General Council.
The Zionist Executive constitutes the executive institution of the World Zionist
Organization. It is charged with the implementation of the decisions of the
Congress and of the Zionist General Council, through its Departments.
The policy of the World Zionist Organization is implemented by the territorial Zionist
Federations, which constitute roof organizations and are made up of
the World Unions (the Zionist groupings) and of the international Jewish
organizations. The Department of Organization and Community Relations is
responsible for their functioning.
The following institutions were established by decisions of Zionist Congresses: in

1897 the World Zionist Organization was founded, in 1899 "the Jewish
Colonial Trust" which served as a financial tool for realization of the idea of a Jewish
State; in 1901 the Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel (Jewish National Fund) was created for
buying land in Eretz Israel. The Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel engages in afforestation, in
preparation of land for agriculture and in nurturing of the environment and of society.
In 1920 Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal was formed. This institution deals with
funding of Aliyah, absorption and settlement.
The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) was established in 1929, by the Sixteenth
Congress, in consequence of the conclusion reached by the leadership of
the World Zionist Organization as to the need to mobilize the Jewish people for
fulfillment of the goals of the Zionist Movement. The decision to found the
JAFI was taken at the Sixteenth Zionist Congress. The Six-Day War led to a change
in the mutual relations between Israel and the Diaspora. The Israel Appeals grew
stronger and the contributors wished to assume a part in the responsibility for the
Jewish Agency activities. In 1971, an agreement was signed for expansion of the
Jewish Agency. By virtue of this agreement, the Jewish Agency is made up of 50% of
representatives of the World Zionist Organization, 30% of representatives of the
United Appeal and 20% of representatives of Keren Hayesod.
The Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency is the organ which determines its
policy. It convenes three times yearly.
26
The Joint Authority for Jewish-Zionist Education was established in 1991. The Joint
Authority is made up of three professional Departments: the Department of TOra
Education and Culture in the Diaspora, the Department of Jewish Education and
Culture in the Diaspora, and the Department of Youth and Hechalutz and Informal
Education. Its main activity focuses on three fields: 1. "The Israel Experience" -
bringing young people to Israel in order to shape their Jewish identity; 2. Training and
development of manpower in education; 3. Study prand [Sic] study material.
Turning Points in the Activities of the World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization, which was founded at the First Zionist Congress in
Basel in 1897 (Appendix 9), was the main instrument of the Jewish people on the
road to the establishment of the State of Israel. Until the establishment of the State,
the Zionist Executive acted as the "government in the making". It worked for the
rebirth of Jewish nationality within the Jewish people, and in the field of Aliyah and
Jewish settlement in Eretz Israel. It also conducted an extensive information
campaign among world statesmen in order to obtain political recognition for the
Zionist aims. Its efforts led to the publication of the Balfour Declaration in 1917, in
which the British Government expressed its sympathy for the Zionist aspiration
regarding the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, and to the
establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
In 1908, the World Zionist Organization opened its Palestine Office in Jaffa in order
to develop the settlement work in Eretz Israel. Upon the outbreak of
World War I, all the WZO activities in Palestine were suspended.
In 1915, a Zionist Coordination and Relations Office was established in Copenhagen,

Denmark. Following the Balfour Declaration, the center of gravity of Zionist activity
moved to London, where a World Zionist Conference was held in 1920.
In 1920, Prof. Chaim Weizmann was elected as the first President of the World
Zionist Organization. At that time, a new direction was consolidated which
constituted a combination of the political stream and the spiritual stream; it was called
"Synthetic Zionism". At the same time questions of culture were being debated in the
Zionist Movement. Some members demanded that emphasis be placed on spiritual
Zionism and saw Eretz Israel as a spiritual center for the Jewish people. On the other
hand, many of the religious Zionists demanded that cultural affairs be removed from
the WZO fields of activity.
In 1933, the Revisionists, headed by Zeev Jabotinsky, withdrew from the World
Zionist Organization and founded the New Zionist Organization. In 1946
they returned to the World Zionist Organization, participating in the Twenty-Second
Zionist Congress, held in Basel.
Since the establishment of the State, the activity of the Zionist Movement has
concentrated mainly on the Diaspora, on strengthening the Jewish people in the fields
of Zionist Jewish education, Aliyah promotion, Zionist information, and the struggle
against assimilation. On the other hand, the main activities of the Jewish Agency are
in the State of Israel. After the establishment of the State, the aims and tasks of the
Zionist Movement were redefined. At the Twenty-Third Zionist Congress (1951), the
first to convene in Jerusalem, the "Jerusalem Program" was adopted (Appendix 10).
27
In 1952, the Knesset passed the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for
Israel (Status) Law (Appendix 13), which stipulates: "The State of Israel recognizes
the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel as the authorized
agencies which will continue to operate in the State of Israel for the development and
settlement of the country, the absorption of immigrants from the Diaspora and the
coordination of the activities in Israel of Jewish institutions and organizations active
in those fields." In 1954 a "Covenant" was signed between the Israeli Government
and the Zionist Executive (Appendix 14). These two basic documents granted a
special status to the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency, which was
established in 1929 (Appendixes 15 and 16).
The Twenty-Seventh Zionist Congress, which convened in Jerusalem in 1968,

reformulated the "Jerusalem Program" (Appendix 11), establishing the aims
of Zionism as the unity of the Jewish people and the centrality of the State of Israel,
the strengthening of the State of Israel, and the preservation of the unique character of
the Jewish people through fostering of Jewish education.
In 1972 the Twenty-Eighth Zionist Congress approved and adopted the Duties of the
Individual Zionist. These obligations stem from the tasks embraced
by the "Jerusalem Program" as well as from membership in the World Zionist
Organization (Appendix 12).
In 1992, the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress decided on the forming of a committee

to examine the structure of the World Zionist Organization, in order
to adapt its functioning to the needs of the times.
Stages in the History of the Congresses (Appendix 2)
The Herzl period from 1897 to 1903, from the First Congress to the Sixth. These
Congresses engaged in ideological debates and clarification of the organization, the
regulations, the method of electing the Executive and shaping of the image of the
World Zionist Organization.
From Herzl's death until World War 1, 1905 to 1913 - from the Seventh Congress to
the Eleventh Congress, the discussions were mainly at the practical level and in the
field of Jewish culture in the countries of the Diaspora. Debates of principle were held
between the supporters of Political Zionism (Herzl, Pinsker) and the advocates of
Spiritual Zionism (Ahad Ha-Am).
From 1913 until 1921 no Zionist Congresses were held as a result of World War I. In
1917 the Balfour Declaration was published.
After the Balfour Declaration until the establishment of the State of Israel, 1921 to
1946: from the Twelfth Congress until the Twenty-Second Congress, the World
Zionist Organization attained international recognition as a result of the Balfour
Declaration, and consequently the status of the Congress was modified. These
Congresses dealt with political problems that arose in Palestine and the Diaspora.
Most of the discussions and decisions focused on the following issues: settlement of
Palestine, creation of Keren Hayesod, acquisition of the lands of the Jezreel Valley,
opening of the Hebrew University, the economic crisis and the Fourth Aliyah crisis.
28
The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Congresses (1933 and 1935) were held in the shadow
of the Nazi rise to power in Germany. The Twentieth Congress (1937) discussed the
Palestine Partition Plan prepared by the Peel Commission, and the Twenty-First
Congress (1939) discussed the struggle against the British White Paper. The Twenty-
Second Congress (1946), held after the Holocaust, discussed "illegal" immigration
and the fight against British rule. A resolution was adopted on the importance and the
need for the immediate establishment of a Jewish state.
After the establishment of the State of Israel - since the Twenty-Third Congress
(1951) the Congresses have been held in the State of Israel. The Twenty-Third
Congress resolved to adopt the "Jerusalem Program" (Appendix 10) instead of the
"Basel Program" (Appendix 9). A decision was adopted calling on the State of Israel
to grant official status to the World Zionist Organization. In 1952 the Knesset
approved the "World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel (Status)
Law" (Appendix 13).
At the Twenty-Seventh Zionist Congress (1968) the reformulation of the "Jerusalem

Program" was approved, with emphasis on the unity of the Jewish people and the
centrality and strengthening of the State of Israel. At the XXXI/5 Zionist General
Council Session, held in June 1991 (Sivan 5751), an amendment was introduced into
the "Jerusalem Program", whereby Zionist education would also be fostered. At the
Twenty-Eighth Congress the "Duties of the Individual Zionist" were laid down.
Location of the Zionist Congresses:
Prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, the Congresses were held in Basel,
London, Hamburg, Vienna, Carlsbad, Zurich, Lucerne and Geneva.
Since the establishment of the State all the Congresses have been held in Jerusalem.
The Institutions of the Zionist Movement
The Zionist Movement is the only democratic world Jewish organization. Its
institutions are elected by democratic processes.
Its institutions are:
1.Zionist Congress
2.Zionist General Council
3.Zionist Executive
4.Zionist Supreme Court
5.Office of the Attorney
6.World Zionist Organization Comptroller
7.Zionist Archives
29
The Zionist Congresses
The Zionist Congress is the supreme organ of the World Zionist Organization and its
legislative authority. Article 13 of the WZO Constitution stipulates:
"An Ordinary Congress shall meet at least once in four years at a place and time
determined by the Council. It shall be convened by the Executive."
Notwithstanding, the Constitution allows postponement of the Congress for special
reasons, and subject to a vote. Accordingly, the last few Congresses
were held approximately every five years. It should be noted that the first five Zionist
Congresses were held annually (Appendix 2).
Language of the Congress
The official language of the initial Congresses was German. Since the 1940's,
Hebrew, English, French and Spanish have been the main languages at the
Congresses, but the official language has been Hebrew. Until the Nineteenth
Congress, the Proceedings were published in German. From the Twentieth
Congress onwards they have been published in Hebrew only.
Powers of the Congress
1.The Congress elects the Chairman of the Zionist Executive, the members of the
Executive, the members of the Zionist General Council and their deputies, the
President of the Zionist Supreme Court, the Attorney of the World Zionist
Organization and the Comptroller.
2.The Congress receives and considers the reports of the Zionist Executive and of
the Institutions of the World Zionist Organization.
3.The Congress receives and decides on the report of the Comptroller.
4.The Congress considers, in its committees, proposals brought before the
Congress by the members of the Zionist General Council, the member of the
Zionist Executive and the Zionist Federations. The conclusions of the committees
are put to the vote in the plenary of the Congress.
5.The Congress draws up the policy of the World Zionist Organization including
the financial policy, and elects the Institutions of the movement.
In the inter-Congress period many of the Congress powers are assumed by the Zionist
General Council, including the authority to amend the Constitution.
Duration of the Congress
Congresses have generally lasted 9-10 days. However, there have also been longer
Congresses, such as the Twentieth Congress which lasted 19 days and the Twenty-
Fifth Congress which lasted 15 days. The Thirty-First Congress and the Thirty-
Second Congresses each lasted only five days.
30
Composition of the Congress
In pursuance of Article 17, Section 1 of the WZO Constitution, the number of

delegates to Congress, apart from those elected on World Election Lists, will not
exceed 500. In pursuance of Section 2 of the same Article, the Zionist General
Council may resolve, not later than one year before Congress meets, to increase this
number by not more than 5%. In pursuance of Section 3, the number of delegates to
Congress will be allocated in the following proportion: Israel 38%, United States of
America 29%, other countries of the Diaspora 33%.
In the case of countries of the Diaspora, an overall number is given, but the number of
delegates of each country is determined, prior to each Congress, by a special
Committee, which takes into account in its decisions the size of the Jewish population
and all the Zionist achievements in each country, such as the number of Federation
members, Aliyah, Appeals and Jewish education.
The Shekel and Zionist Membership
The Zionist Shekel constituted a personal membership certificate in the World Zionist
Organization and was proof of payment of membership fees. Paying
of the Shekel was a condition for the right to vote and eligibility for election to the
Zionist Congress. The Shekel was introduced at the First Zionist
Congress. After the establishment of the State of Israel, the Shekel was abolished, and
instead it was determined that the elections to the Zionist
Congress would be held according to a personal census of the members of the Zionist
Federations. An official resolution to this effect was adopted at the
Twenty-Seventh Congress in 1968, but in fact the Shekel was abolished even prior to
this.
In pursuance of Article 22, Sections 1 and 2 of the Constitution, every Jew who is a
member of a body affiliated to the World Zionist Organization and who has reached
the age of eighteen years, is entitled to vote and to be elected to the Congress. The
elections are obligatory for all the electoral areas except for Israel. In pursuance of
Article 21 Section 1 of the Constitution, no elections are held in Israel. The
Committee for Determining the Representation from Israel appoints the delegates in
accordance with the relative strength of the Zionist parties in the last Knesset elected
prior to the opening of the Congress.
In 1976 election rules were issued that are binding on all the countries. The rules
allow several kinds of elections: personal or proportional elections, voting in a poll
booth, postal vote etc. The elections must be by vote unless a "one hundred percent
agreement" has been obtained, namely there exists only one list accepted by all the
parties and the streams or by the candidates. In this case it should be known that even
if an agreement was reached, any new group formed, even temporarily, can cancel the
agreement if it succeeds in mobilizing the number of signatures required for
presentation of a list.
31
Membership of organizations in the World Zionist organization
Since the new WZO Constitution came into force in 1960, there has been no personal
membership in the World Zionist Organization. Only organizations can be members.
An individual Zionist can belong to the World Zionist Organization only indirectly,
through one of the member organizations.
As indicated above, in the period of the Shekel, membership was individual; anyone
paying a shekel was considered a member of the World Zionist Organization. The
reason for this difference lies in the change in the structure of the World Zionist
Organization, which is now an "association of organizations". This change was
introduced in order to take into account the laws of the USA in relation to foreign
agents.
The Central Elections Board
The Chairman of the Central Elections Board and the members of the board are
appointed by the President of the Zionist Supreme Court. The board is chaired by a
judge or judge emeritus in Israel. Factions which participated in the previous Zionist
Congress participate in the board as observers. In addition to the board's powers, it
deliberates and decides in cases where omissions were discovered in the election
preparations or a deadlock situation was created.
The Area Election Committee
The Area Election Committee determines the method of elections and the conduct of
the elections in each area/country. If all the organizations and
groups operating in the Zionist movement in a country are represented in the
Executive of the Zionist Federation, the Executive of the Federation can serve as the
Area Election Committee. If the Federation prefers that a special body conduct the
elections, it will establish this body. The committee must reflect the composition of
the delegation of the electoral area in question at the previous Zionist Congress.
A body which was not represented at the previous Congress but presented a list of
candidates is entitled to one delegate in an advisory capacity on the committee. In a
country where an Area Election Committee was not established, the Central Elections
Board will appoint an Area Election Committee.
Elections to the Congress must be held no later than three months prior to holding of
the Congress.
The Zionist World Unions
"Zionist World Union" means a Zionist organization which represents a special

ideological point of view within the World Zionist Organization, has branches
in at least 5 countries and is represented by a Congress Grouping.
32
The Zionist World Unions are:
1.The Labor Zionist Movement

2.Likud (Herut Hatzohar and the World Union of General Zionists)
3.Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi
4.The World Confederation of United Zionists, which in the USA is a federation of
"Hadassah", the American Jewish League and Bnei Zion.
5.Arzenu - The Zionist faction of the Reform Movement.
6.Mercaz - the Zionist faction of the Conservative Movement.
7.Mapam.
8.Tnuat H- Hanoar Hazioni, Shinuy, Ratz
9.Banai (Tehiya, Tzomet)
The International Jewish Organizations
Since the Twenty-Eighth Zionist Congress (1972), international Jewish organizations

are represented in the Zionist Congress, provided that they accept the
Jerusalem Program, even if not all their members are declared Zionists (unlike the
World Unions in which every member must be a declared Zionist).
These bodies have limited voting rights -they do not vote on matters of candidature.
The international Jewish organizations are:
1.WIZO*
2.The World Sephardi Federation
3.B'nai B'rith International
4.Maccabi World Union
5.The Student Delegation
6.The CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Delegation
7.The World Conference of Synagogues and Kehiloth (Orthodox)
8.The World Council of Synagogues (Conservative)
9.The World Union for Progressive Judaism (Reform)
10.The Zionist Council in Israel**
* WIZO is an international, non-party Zionist body which receives, by virtue of an

agreement entered into in 1964, global representation like all the other
bodies with limited voting rights. However, WIZO has unlimited voting rights like the
World Unions.
** The Zionist Council in Israel - This body represents Zionist bodies in Israel which
are not represented in the Knesset. Since it was decided to add 10
additional delegates to the Israeli delegation, the Zionist General Council decided that
these delegates would be from the Zionist Council in Israel.
Composition of the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress (July 1992).
Distribution of the delegates at the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress:
Representatives of the Zionist World Unions and WIZO with full voting rights - 585
delegates:
33
Labor Zionist Movement 130 delegates
Likud 134 delegates
World Confederation of United Zionists 79 delegates
Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi 71 delegates
Arzenu 46 delegates
Mercaz 27 delegates
Mapam 27 delegates
Tnuat Hamercaz-Hanoar Hazioni-Shinuy-Ratz 23 delegates
Tzomet 14 delegates
Moledet 5 delegates
Hatehiya 3 delegates
Unaffiliated 2 delegates
WIZO 24 delegates
Representatives of the international Jewish organizations and bodies with voting

rights except for voting on matters of candidature - 136 delegates:
World Sephardi Federation 24 delegates
B'nai B'rith International 20 delegates
Maccabi World Union 17 delegates
Students Delegation 20 delegates
World Conference of Synagogues and Kehiloth (Orthodox) 15 delegates
World Council of Synagogues (Conservative) 15 delegates
World Union for Progressive Judaism (Reform) 15 delegates
The Zionist Council in Israel 10 delegates
These delegates are appointed by the body which they represent and the size of their
delegation is fixed in agreements between the Zionist Executive
and the executive of the organizations, with the approval of the Zionist General
Council.
34
Creation of a Grouping at the Congress
In addition to the Groupings participating in the elections to the Congress, and whose
representatives participate in the Congress in accordance with their
relative strength, in pursuance of Article 25A of the Constitution, at least 12 delegates
present at the Congress may form a Congress Grouping. A
delegate may join only one Congress Grouping.
Participants in Congress in an Advisory Capacity and Observers.
In addition to the delegates with full voting rights participating in Congress, there are
also delegates in an advisory capacity only. These delegates are
entitled to participate in debates but have no voting rights.
These delegates are divided into two groups:
1.Certain office holders, for instance members of the Executive, members of the
Zionist General Council who were not elected as delegates to Congress, Chairmen
of the Zionist Federations, legal office holders - the President of the Zionist
Supreme Court, the Attorney, the Comptroller and representatives of the Aliyah
Movement.
2.The Executive of the Congress Presidium may invite "personalities and
representatives of bodies whose presence at Congress in the view of the
Executive or the Presidium is necessary or desirable" (Regulation 7A of the
Standing Orders of the Zionist Congress). In this framework, a delegation from the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was appointed at the Thirty-Second
Zionist Congress. A World Jewish Congress delegation, a Dor Hemshech
delegation and a group of academics also attended the Thirty-Second Congress.
The Course of the Congress
The Congress is conducted by the Congress Presidium. The Congress deliberations

are divided into five stages:
1.Opening of the Congress, including a speech by the Chairman of the Executive,

and other speeches determined in the agenda, election of the
Congress Presidium, the report of the President of the Zionist Supreme Court on
the election results, reports of the members of the Executive to complete the
printed report, election of the Congress committees.
2.Election of the new Executive, according to the proposal of a Congress
Permanent Committee.
3.Meetings of the committees.
35
A sample of the subjects raised at the Thirty-Second Congress and discussed in the
Committees is presented below:
1.The Function of the Zionist Movement in Diaspora Jewish Communities (Goals

and Structure)
2.The Young Generation and the Zionist Movement -Development of Young
Leadership
3.Settlement
4.The Zionist Movement and the State of Israel
5.Aliya and Klita and Zionist Hagshama
6.The Partnership within the framework of the Jewish Agency
7.Antisemitism
8.Jewish-Zionist Education
9.Demography of the Jewish People
10.Zionist-ideological Hasbara
1.Reports of the committees and voting on the draft resolutions presented by them.
The report of the Permanent Committee and voting on its proposals for members
of the Zionist General Council, the Comptroller and the Legal Institutions.
2.Winding-up.
The Zionist General Council
The Zionist General Council is the supreme institution of the Zionist movement in the
inter-Congress period. The Zionist General Council has all the
powers of the Congress except for those expressly reserved for the Congress.
The Zionist General Council inspects and, in so far as necessary, decides upon the
manner in which the Executive will implement the decisions of the
Congress and of the Council. The Zionist General Council receives and considers the
reports of the Executive.
The Zionist Council, upon proposal of the Executive, either itself or through the
Permanent Committee for Budget and Finance, decides upon all budgetary
and financial matters, provided such a decision is not inconsistent with the decisions
of Congress.
Should the position of a member of the Executive, a member of the Presidium or a

deputy member of the Presidium fall vacant for any reason whatsoever in the inter-
Congress period, the Zionist General Council elects a new member in his stead. This
election is carried out at the next Session of the Zionist General Council or in the
interSession period by mail/fax. The decision on such a vote is taken by the
Presidium, in consultation with the Executive. The vote is valid if at least 50% of the
Zionist General Council with voting rights participate.
36
Composition of the Zionist General Council
In pursuance of Article 32 Section 1 of the Constitution, the Congress elects the

members of the Council entitled to vote in accordance with the relative strength of the
Groupings in Congress. Every Congress Grouping is represented on the Council by a
number of members equal to one-fifth of the total number of delegates of the
respective Grouping. A remainder of at least 3 as a result of such division entitles a
Grouping to an additional member on the Council.
The composition of the Zionist General Council elected at the Thirty-Second Zionist
Congress is as follows:
Representatives of the World Unions - 119 members
Labor Zionist Movement – Mapam 32 members
Likud – Moledet 28 members
Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi, Tzomet, Hatehiya 18 members
The World Confederation of United Zionists 16 members
Arzenu, Tnuat Hamercaz-Hanoar Hazioni, Shinuy, Ratz 14 members
Mercaz 6 members
WIZO* 5 members
* In the XXXII/3 Zionist General Council Session (1993) it was resolved to increase
the WIZO presentation by one, in other the number of WIZO members in the Zionist
General Council is 6.
Representatives of the International Jewish Organizations 44 members
World Sephardi Federation 8 members
B'nai B'rith International 8 members
Maccabi World Union 5 members
World Conference of Synagogues and Kehiloth (Orthodox) 5 members
World Council of Synagogues (Conservative) 5 members
World Union for Progressive Judaism (Reform) 5 members
Students Delegation 5 members
The Zionist Council in Israel 3 members
37
The delegation from the Former Soviet Union* 8 members
* By virtue of a decision of the Zionist General Council at its XXXII/3 Session, held
in June 1993.
20 Chairmen of Zionist Federations of countries which were represented at the

foregoing Congress by 3 or more delegates are also members of the Zionist General
Council with the same status as the international Jewish organizations.
The Zionist Congress elects deputy members of the Council equal to twice the
number of members.
The total number of Zionist General Council members is 192.
Participants in the Zionist General Council in an Advisory Capacity
In pursuance of Article 32, Section 3 of the Constitution.
1.Members of the Executive.

2.One representative each of the Jewish Colonial Trust, the Keren Kayemeth
Le'lsrael and the Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal.
3.The President of the Zionist Supreme Court and the Attorney of the World
Zionist Organization.
4.The Comptroller.
5.Members of the Executive in the period preceding the Congress and members of
the Executive who have resigned during the current Congress period.
6.Zionist leaders, not to exceed 16, proposed by the Executive of the World Zionist
Organization and the Presidium of the Council jointly, and approved by the
Congress or the Council.
7.Representatives of the Zionist bodies, the number of which will not exceed 4,
who participated in the Congress in an advisory capacity.
8.Honorary fellows.
9.The former Chairmen of the Executive and the former Chairmen of the Zionist
General Council.
10.The Chairmen of Zionist Federations whose countries were represented at the
foregoing Congress by one or two delegates.
Sessions of the Zionist General Council
The first Session of the Zionist General Council convenes immediately upon
conclusion of the Zionist Congress which elected it. At this Session the Chairman of
the Zionist General Council and the Presidium of the Zionist General Council are
elected. The Chairman of the Council is also the Chairman of the Presidium.
The Sessions of the Zionist General Council are generally held once yearly in mid-
June. In exceptional cases and for important reasons, the Zionist General Council
decides to convene an additional Session.
38
Upon the written proposal of at least one-third of the members of the Council entitled
to vote belonging to at least two different groupings, the Presidium of the Council
may convene an extraordinary session. Before the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress
two extraordinary sessions were held for purposes of amending the Constitution - one
for an increase in the number of mandates for the delegation to the Congress from the
countries of the Diaspora (excluding the USA) in such a way that it would not exceed
211 mandates, and the second to increase the number of mandates of the USA to the
Thirty-Second Congress by ten. Accordingly, the number of members of the US
delegation to Congress was 162.
Agenda of the Zionist General Council Session
No later than seventy days prior to opening of the Session, the Presidium together
with the Executive determines the agenda of the Session. For this purpose a joint
committee is formed, made up of representatives of the Executive and the Presidium.
The final proposal of this committee is approved by the Presidium and the Executive.
The Executive may introduce modifications in the agenda. The Presidium is charged
with distribution of the Agenda to all the Session participants. The number of topics
discussed by the Session will not exceed 2. According to Regulation 22A, Par. 1 of
the Standing Orders of the Zionist General Council, 20 members of the Council are
entitled to propose inclusion of topics in the agenda.
Draft resolutions are submitted only on topics discussed by the Session. The draft
resolutions are submitted by the members of the Zionist General Council, the Zionist
Federations and the Executive and the Presidium. The draft resolutions are submitted
in writing, formulated and explained, no later than 40 days prior to the opening of the
Session. Draft resolutions of the Presidium and the Executive may arrive later than
this date. In pursuance of Regulation 22A, Par. 3 of the Standing Orders of the Zionist
General Council, a Resolutions and Drafting Committee of the Presidium examines
and classifies the draft resolutions.
Course of the Zionist General Council
The deliberations of the Zionist General Council Session are divided into four stages:
Stage 1 - Opening of the Session - report of the Chairman of the Zionist Executive;
speech of members of the Executive when matters relative to their
Departments were included in the Session Agenda; report on the World Zionist
Organization budget.
Stage 2 - Committees discuss topics that were raised and discussed in the plenary
session. In the committees the draft resolutions submitted to the Session are
discussed.
Stage 3 - Reports of the committees and voting on the draft resolutions submitted by
them.
Stage 4 - Winding-up speeches.
Interpellations
39
Every member of the Zionist General Council may address a query to the Chairman
of the Executive, the members and the Chairmen of the executives of
the National Funds on their work, on the Zionist Movement in its entirety, or on the
field of activity of those questioned.
The Presidium of the Zionist General Council
The Presidium of the Zionist General Council is elected at the first Session of the
Council after the Zionist Congress. The Chairman of the Zionist General
Council who was elected at this Session is also the Chairman of the Presidium.
Composition of the Presidium
The number of the members of the Presidium apart from the Chairman is 30. This
number includes the representatives of the international Jewish organizations.
In pursuance of Section 4 Par. 4 of the Standing Orders of the Zionist General

Council, "In periods between the sessions the functions of the Presidium shall be
discharged by its members domiciled in Israel. The places of members of the
Presidium domiciled abroad shall be filled, in periods between the sessions, by
deputies domiciled in the State of Israel who shall be elected by the General Council
together with members of the Presidium."
Should the position of a member of the Presidium or a deputy-member of the

Presidium fall vacant in the inter-Congress period for any reason whatsoever, the
Zionist General Council selects a member or a deputy member in his stead.
All the Presidium members have voting rights. However, the voting rights of the
representatives of the international organizations are restricted in accordance with
Section 5 Par. 4(4) of the World Zionist Organization Constitution. They do not vote
on matters of candidature and will not participate in elections to the governing bodies.
Powers of the Presidium
1.To determine, in consultation with the Executive, the dates of the Sessions of the
Zionist General Council, where they will be held, their duration and, in
conjunction with the Executive, the Agenda.
2.To conduct the Session of the Zionist General Council.
3.To represent the Zionist General Council before internal and external bodies.
4.To execute the activities with which it is charged in pursuance of the Regulations
of the World Zionist Organization.
5.To consider and decide on matters transmitted to it by the Zionist Congress or
the Zionist General Council.
6.To shorten dates in elections to Congress.
7.To decide on postponement of a Session of the Zionist General Council and to
participate in discussion on postponement of the Congress.
8.To approve changes of members and deputy members of the Zionist General
Council.
40
9.To decide in a state of emergency on deviation from the provisions of the
Constitution or another of the World Zionist Organization.
10.To complete the representation of the World Zionist Organization to the Jewish
Agency Assembly, i.e. if the number of members of the World
Zionist Organization is greater than the number of members of the Zionist General
Council with voting rights.
11.To determine the way in which the report of the Comptroller will be presented
to the Zionist General Council.
12.It may, in urgent cases, appoint the Deputy Comptroller.
13.In accordance with the Rules of the Permanent Committee for Budget and
Finance, it may convene this committee to its first meeting. The Presidium is
empowered by a resolution of the Zionist General Council to elect the members of
the Permanent Committee for Budget and Financ and the members of the Board of
Directors of the Keren kayemeth Le'lsrael.
14.To form the preparatory committee that is charged with preparing the activity of
the Permanent Committee of the Congress. The Presidium will convene the
Preparatory Committee to its first meeting and will inform it of the anticipated
results of the elections to Congress.
15.It may determine, in accordance with a proposal of the Executive and in
consultation with the President of the Zionist Supreme Court and the World
Zionist Organization Attorney, that in a given electoral area a vote cannot be held
for reasons independent of the Zionist Movement and of the will of the local
Zionists.
16.The Resolutions and Drafting Committee of the Presidium is constituted on a
party basis, and is charged with classifying and examining the draft resolutions
submitted in order to avoid duplication and to cancel or reduce draft resolutions of
a purely declarative nature.
In order to execute its functions, the Presidium is in constant contact with the
Executive from which it receives all the information required for this purpose.
The Chairman of the Zionist General Council is invited to the meetings of the
Executive at which the date of the Zionist General Council Session, th locality and the
agenda are discussed, and to the debates on basic problems of the Zionist Movement.
Should the Presidium see fit to consult with the Executive on a given subject, it may
address a proposal to it to hold a joint meeting. The date of the meeting will be
determined as soon as possible with the agreement of both institutions.
The Executive assists the Presidium in execution of its activities and for these ends
places at its disposal the administration of the Department of
Organization and Community Relations and the means required.
The Executive of the World Zionist Organization
The Zionist Congress elects the Chairman of the Executive (Appendix 5) and the
Executive, which is charged with conducting the affairs of the World Zionist
Organization in Israel and the Diaspora. The Executive is the executive institution of
the World Zionist Organization. It handles daily work of the Zionist Movement in the
Diaspora, in the Zionist Federations, regarding Hasbara and formal and informal
education. 1990 saw the founding of the Joint Authority for Jewish-Zionist Education,
which groups within it the Departments that handle education. The Executive is
41
charged with executing the decisions of the Congress and of the Zionist General
Council and is responsible to these bodies. The Zionist Executive works through the
following departments:
1.Organization and Community Relations

2.Information
3.Students and Academics
4.Sephardi Communities
5.Leadership Development and Dor Hemshech
6.Finance
7.The Rural Settlement Division
8.The Immigration and Absorption Division
9.The Division for Manpower Resources.
In addition, there is an Authority for Emissaries which trains the emissaries of the
World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency.
The Nature and Composition of the Executive Elected at the Thirty-Second Zionist
Congress
The Constitution does not establish the number of members of the Executive, but
leaves it to each Congress to elect the number of members of the
Executive that it sees fit. The number of representatives of the international Jewish
Organizations in the Executive is determined by agreements between them and the
Executive, approved by the Congress or by the Zionist General Council.
In accordance with Resolution 113 of the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress, the Inner
Executive is made up of 25 members in addition to the Chairman of the Executive.
The list includes 5 members from the Diaspora, 13 holders of portfolios and 8
members without portfolio. The Thirty-Second Zionist Congress elected another 29
members to the Extended Executive. The total number of members of the Extended
Executive is 55.
While a "wall-to-wall coalition" has been in practice for many years, the Constitution
does not obligate this arrangement. The Executive in fact accepted the principle of
collective responsibility, even though this is not anchored in the Constitution.
The relations between the Zionist Executive in Jerusalem and the Executive in the
USA have seen established by custom. The Constitution says that the seat of the
Executive and its Head Office will be in Jerusalem. However, the Congress or the
Zionist General Council may set up one or several offices of the Executive overseas.
In 1996, rules were approved for conducting meetings of the Executive.
Should the place of one of the members of the Executive fall vacant in the inter-
Congress period for any reason whatsoever, the Zionist General Council elects a new
member in his stead.
Report of the Activities of the Executive
The Executive submits to the Zionist General Council a report of its Department's
activities between one Session of the Zionist General Council and the next.
42
The Executive also decides on the manner of signing contracts in writing and other
documents of a nature to bind the World Zionist Organization.
The Zionist Federations
The territorial Zionist Federation is generally a roof organization that organizes all the
Jewish organizations defining themselves as Zionists and individual Zionists who
have signed the "Jerusalem Program" and who accept the Constitution of the
Federation.
In pursuance of Article 5 Section 1 of the WZO Constitution, every Federation which

accepts the Zionist Program and the WZO Constitution may be a member of the
World Zionist Organization. The admission of a Zionist Federation as a Member is
decided, upon the proposal of the Executive, by the Zionist General Council. The
decision of the Zionist General Council is valid if it is approved in the presence of a
majority of its members with voting rights and by a majority of two-thirds of the
voters. Only one Zionist Federation from each country is accepted as a member.
Every Zionist Organization must be a member of the Zionist Federation of its country,
and every Federation must accept every Territorial Zionist Organization, which is in a
sense a national branch of a Zionist World Union.
In pursuance of Article 7 of the Constitution, in order to be a Member of the World

Zionist Organization, a Zionist Federation shall comply with the following
requirements:
1.Admit as a member every Zionist body and individual who accepts the
Constitution of the Federation and the program of the World Zionist Organization
unless in the opinion of the Federation there exists a weighty reason against such
admission. A Federation is not entitled to refuse the admission of a body affiliated
with one of the Congress groupings.
2.According to principles of justice, equality and democracy, it will prevent the
membership of bodies or individuals who adhere to or advocate discrimination based
on origin, nationality or race and will Conduct its affairs having regard to the
protection of the requirements of all members of the Federation.
3.Hold at least once very three years a national convention and determine in its
Constitution a method of electing its governing bodies and a method of electing
delegates to the convention consistent with accepted democratic principles and which
will, inter alia, ensure adequate representation of the Keren Hayesod-United Israel
Appeal, the UJA and the Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael;
4.Set up a framework encompassing all Zionist youth movements operating in the
coconcerned, as well as a framework for graduates of youth movements and members
of organizations of young people.
5.Establish local branches of the Federation wherever practicable.
6.Stipulate that all bodies affiliated with the Federation commit their members to
fulfilling their obligations towards the Keren HayesodUnited Israel Appeal, the Keren
Kayemeth Le'Israel and the UJA and that the members of the Executive of the
Federation take an active part in the work of the National Funds; it will assure the
fulfillment of the above obligations by means of regulations.
43
7.Ensure the right of any Zionist body which has been refused admission as a
member, or has been suspended from the membership, to appeal the decision before a
Zionist Territorial Tribunal. It will also ensure the right of any person whose
membership in any of the governing bodies of the Federation has been suspended, to
submit an appeal to the Territorial Judicial Body and from the decision of that body to
the Zionist Supreme Court.
Status and Rights of the Zionist Federation
A Zionist Federation which was accepted as a member of the World Zionist

Organization will be the body together with which the Executive will carry out its
functions and obligations. The Executive, the Heads of the Departments and their
representatives will consult with the executive body of the Federation or with its
authorized representatives as regards their Zionist activities in the area in question.
Every Zionist Federation will determine the manner and the methods of admission of
individual Zionists who are not members of any Zionist body as members of the
Federation. The Chairmen of Zionist Federations which are represented at the
Congress by 8 delegates or more, who were not elected themselves as delegates,
participate in the Congress and in its committees in an advisory capacity. The
Executive may invite a further number of Chairmen of Zionist Federations, but no
more than 5, to participate in the Congress and its committees in an advisory capacity.
Chairmen of the Federations of countries which were represented in the foregoing

Zionist Congress by at least 3 delegates, participate in the meetings of the Zionist
General Council with voting rights on all matters except matters of candidature and
elections to the governing bodies of the World Zionist Organization.
Chairmen of the Federations who participate in the Sessions of the Zionist General
Council as representatives of Federations will not join any of the Zionist
General Council Groupings.
There are 20 Zionist Federations whose Chairmen have voting rights: the Federations
of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
England, the Federation of Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi in England, France,
Germany, Holland, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Venezuela,
Uruguay, USA.
There are also 8 Zionist Federations whose Chairmen can participate in the Sessions
of the Zionist General Council in an advisory capacity since they had one or two
delegates to the Zionist Congress. These Federations are: Colombia, Denmark,
Greece, Hungary (which was recognized again as a Zionist Federation at the Thirty-
Second Zionist Congress), India, New Zealand, Peru, Spain.
The Federations differ from each other as to the numbers and importance of direct
members and members through organizations. There are countries in which parties do
not exist or are not important organizationally, and most of the Federation members
are direct members. On the other hand, in certain countries the number of direct
members who do not belong to any organizations but directly to the Federation is
negligible.
44
The Judicial Bodies
The Zionist Supreme Court
In pursuance of Article 47 of the WZO Constitution, the Zionist Supreme Court

consists of 30 judges at most, in addition to the President of the Court.
Each member of the Court swears to fulfill his duty impartially and to the best of his
knowledge and conscience. The oath of the President of the Court is received by the
Chairman of the Zionist General Council.
The members of the Zionist General Council entitled to vote, the members of the
Executive, the Comptroller and the Deputy Comptroller, the Attorney of the World
Zionist Organization and his Deputies, and officials of the World Zionist
Organization and the Central Zionist bodies may not be members of the Court.
The President of the Zionist Supreme Court is elected by the Zionist Congress.
The five Deputy-Presidents of the Zionist Supreme Court and the judges of the Court
are appointed by a Committee for Appointment of Judges of the
Court, which is elected by the Permanent Committee of the Congress.
Unless the Congress decides otherwise, the seat of the Court is in Jerusalem. The
hearings of the Court are held with a composition of three or five judges. The
President of the Court, and in his absence his deputy, decides on the composition in
each case.
The Court operates according to rules enacted by the Zionist General Council and any
change in these rules requires the approval of the Council.
In any country in which a territorial Zionist Organization exists, a judicial body is set
up that is empowered to discuss and decide in the area, subject to the authority of this
body. This body is empowered to interpret the Constitution of the National Zionist
Organization, to judge disputes between territorial Zionist bodies or between
individual Zionists, matters related to Zionist activity or deriving from membership in
a Zionist territorial body.
Powers of the Zionist Supreme Court (in pursuance of Article 49 of the WZO
Constitution)
1.As a Court Tribunal of First Instance, the Court determines:
1.the legality of decisions of the Central Zionist Bodies, whether in connection

with a dispute or upon the proposal of the Executive or the Attorney of the World
Zionist Organization;
2.Disputes between Zionist Bodies, where at least one party is the' World Zionist
Organization or a Central Zionist Body or where the parties to the disputes have their
head offices in different countries;
45
3.Disputes, except monetary disputes, between the World Zionist Organization or
a Central Zionist Body and individual Zionists in matters connected with Zionist work
or arising out of membership in a Zionist Body;
4.Objections to decisions to postpone the Congress or to postpone a session of the
Council;
5.Matters relating to elections to the Zionist Congress, and appeals against the
determination of the number of delegates;
6.Matters relative to acts allegedly infringing the Constitution or damaging the
interests or prestige of the World Zionist Organization.
In all the aforesaid matters, the Court may make such order or impose such
sanction as it deems fit, provided that it takes due care that such order or such
sanction does not damage the interests of innocent bodies or individuals.
1.As a Court of Appeal on judgments of a Territorial Zionist Tribunal.
Attorney of the World Zionist Organization
The Attorney of the World Zionist Organization and his Deputies are elected by the
Congress.
The Attorney represents the interests of the World Zionist Organization, including
matters related to infringements of the Constitution or the interests and prestige of the
World Zionist Organization, brought before the Court. The Attorney advises the
Central Zionist Bodies in legal matters connected with the
World Zionist Organization Constitution, the decisions of the Congress, the Council
and the Executive, and with the relations between the Central Zionist Bodies and
between them and other Zionist bodies or individual Zionists.
The Comptroller of The World Zionist Organization
Status and Functions of the Comptroller
In pursuance of Article 60 Section 1 of the WZO Constitution, the Comptroller shall

inspect the financial, economic, administrative and organizational activities of the
World Zionist Organization and of its officers, companies and institutions of every
kind, including those in which the World Zionist Organization holds at least 50% of
the voting power or the capital.
The term of office of the Comptroller is from the Congress which elected him to the
termination of thefollowing Ordinary Congress.
The Comptroller presents a report on the results of his inspection to the Congress and
to the Council and, if necessary, to the Permanent Committee for Budget and Finance.
The Congress or the Zionist General Council may elect a Deputy-Comptroller.
The Executive makes available all the documents required by the Comptroller for his
examination. The methods of activity of the Comptroller and the obligations of the
bodies being inspected by the comptroller are determined by special rules. The
46
Comptroller participates in an advisory capacity in the Congress, in the Zionist
General Council and in their committees.
The Zionist Archives
The Central Zionist Archives which constitutes a body of the World Zionist
Organization, is the historic archive of the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish
Agency, Keren Hayesod and the World Jewish Congress. It’s status was determined
by decisions of the Twenty-Fourth and the Twenty-Sixth Zionist Congresses (1956,
1965).
The function of the Archives is to centralize historically valuable documentation of

Zionism in all the periods and all the countries, and of the history of the
Hebrew yishuv in Eretz-Israel; to prepare this documentation and to make it available
to the general public for purposes of study and research
The Archives delivers a report on its activities to the Zionist General Council
(generally once yearly) and to the Zionist Congress. The annual reports which are
submitted to the State Archives are brought to the knowledge of the members of the
Executive of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. The Executive
of the Zionist Archives, which is made up of representatives of the World Zionist
Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel and Keren
Hayesod, supervises the Archives’ activities.
Zionist Bodies Set Up Following Decisions of the Zionist Congresses
The First Zionist Congress, which convened in 1897 in Basel, decided on the
founding of the World Zionist Organization.
The Jewish Colonial Trust
The Second Zionist Congress, which convened in 1898 in Base, decided on the
founding of the Jewish Colonial Trust. The Jewish Colonial Trust was the parent
company of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, which became the Bank Leumi Le-Israel
following the establishment of the State.
Herzl saw the establishment of the Jewish Colonial Trust as a financial tool for
realization of the idea of the Jewish State, and which would serve the political and
economic activity of the World Zionist Organization, through which a concession was
received from the Turks for settlement of Jews in
Palestine.
In 1992, the Jewish Colonial Trust ceased to be the parent company of Bank Leumi,
at the request of the Israeli government.
Currently, the Jewish Colonial Trust holds four and a half percent of the Bank Leumi
shares. The National Institutions hold twenty-two percent of Bank
Leumi shares.
47
Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel (Jewish National Fund) (Appendix 18)
The Fifth Zionist Congress, held in Basel in December 1901, decided on the
formation of the Keren Kayemet Le'Israel.
This is a fund of the Zionist Movement for redemption of the lands of Eretz-lsrael by
the Jewish people around the world, preparation of the lands and making them
available to the Jewish settlers in Eretz Israel.
Since its establishment and until this day, Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael has engaged in
development of the land in Israel. This activity includes: an extensive afforestation
project, preparation of land for agriculture, settlement, tourist enterprises and for
housing for immigrants and the needy, roadbuilding in border outlying areas,
construction of water reservoirs and dams to expand available water resources,
environmental conservation and scenic enhancement, rolling back the desert, river
rehabilitation and the fostering of Zionist education aimed at strengthening the ties of
Jewish youth in Israel
and the Diaspora to the land.
This body is headed by a Board of Directors elected by the members of the Zionist
General Council.
Keren Hayesof –United Israel Appeal
Keren Hayesod was established in London in 1920 and was confirmed by the Twelfth
Zionist Congress in 1921, after World War I, in Carlsbad.
Keren Hayesod was registered as "a Company Limited by Guarantee, not having a
share capital". Its members are elected subject to the approval of the Zionist
Executive which also appoints from among its members the Chairman (appendix 8)
and members of the Board of Directors. Until the end of 1926 the head office of
Keren Hayesod, with its various departments, was located in London. Since then
Keren Hayesod has had its headquarters in Jerusalem.
Keren Hayesod still operates in the spirit of its Foundation Declaration, issued in
1920 by Chaim Weizmann, Nahum Sokolow, Zeev Jabotinsky and other Zionist
leaders. "The key is in the hands of the Jewish people" it declared. "No casual charity
will suffice". The declaration called for "self-taxation - steady, persistent, systematic,
inspired by the noble Jewish tradition of the tithe".
Unitil the establishment of the State of Israel Keren Hayesod was the financial arm of
the "state in the making". It funded immigration and absorption, rural settlement and
security, vocational training, development of water sources, etc.
In 1956, the Knesset passed the Keren Hayesod Law defining Keren Hayesod's role in
the age of Jewish independence and authorizing it to act "in strengthening the State of
Israel, the ingathering of the exiles and the unification of the Jewish people".
48
Affiliated with 90 campaigns in 50 countries over five continents, excluding the USA
where the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) operates, Keren Hayesod reaches out to
Jewish communities around the world. Together with the UJA it funds the activities
of the Jewish Agency.
The main goal of Keren Hayesod today is saving Jewish lives and Jewish life through:
1.Aliyah, rescue and initial absorption of immigrants in Israel.

2.Developing Israel's peripheral regions through links with Diaspora communities.
3.Returning young Jews to their heritage through education.
The Jewish Agency for Israel
The Sixteenth Zionist Congress which convened in Zurich decided on the

establishment of the Jewish Agency for Israel which would be a joint framework for
the World Zionist Organization and for non-Zionists wishing to participate in the
building of the National Home (page 47).
The Jewish Agency for Israel (Appendix 1)
In the wake of the Balfour Declaration, the leaders of the World Zionist Organization
realized it was necessary to quicken the pace of building Eretz Israel but that they
could not themselves raise among their members the financial means for this
objective. Accordingly, they came to the conclusion that they required assistance
through funds of Jews who were not members of the World Zionist Organization and
who did not accept the nationalist outlook. The WZO leaders also perceived that they
required maximum political backing, by as many circles as possible in World Jewry.
Over the years the idea crystallized of creating a joint organization, where 50% of the
members would be representatives of the World Zionist Organization and 50%
representatives of organizations and personalities who would be able to furnish
financial aid and political influence and status in their countries. It should be noted
that the Jewish Agency is the only organization of its kind in the world. It exists by
virtue of an international Charter that was determined in 1922 by the League of
Nations, as part of the mandate that it gave to the British to take control of the areas
that they had conquered in World War 1 and, in the wording of the Charter, to work
“for the furthering of the Jewish homeland in Palestine”. Later, the Charter was re-
adopted by the UN.
The Sixteenth Zionist Congress (1929) decided on the establishment of the Jewish
Agency for Israel, which would be a joint body of the World Zionist
Organization and those known as "non-Zionists" in the belief that all Jews wished to
participate in building the National Home. Upon conclusion of the
Congress, Board of the Jewish Agency convened. Of its 224 members, 112 were
Zionists (members of the World Zionist Organization) including Prof.
Chaim Weizmann who was elected as President of the Jewish Agency, Nahum
Sokolow, Menahem Ussishkin, Shemaryahu Levin, David Ben-Gurion, Rabbi
Uziel; the 112 "non-Zionist" members included Louis Marshall, Shalom Asch, Albert
Einstein, Leon Blum, and members of the Rothschild family. The Keren
Hayesod was declared the main financial tool of the New Jewish Agency. It was
decided not to change the status of the Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael or to modify its
relations with the Worjd Zionist Organization; although it remained under the control
49
of the World Zionist Organization it would serve as a tool for acquiring lands for the
objectives of the Jewish Agency.
Immediately after the constitution of the expanded Jewish Agency in 1929, the riots
of 1929 broke out. In this period difficulties which emerged showed that the
partnership was not successful. In the course of time several personalities representing
the "non-Zionists" joined the Zionist Executive; however, they asserted that they were
not consulted, that only their money was of interest, and that the policy was
determined even after the creation of the Jewish the members of the Zionist
Movement. For their part, the Zionists were disappointed by the financial revenues of
the Funds.
Following the onset of the crisis of Central European Jewry in 1933, the relations
between the Zionists and the "non-Zionists" deteriorated, and in fact, after the death
of Otto Warburg, the representative of the "non-Zionists" on the Executive, the non-
Zionist part of the Jewish Agency came to an end in the USA.
In 1946, at the Twenty-Second Zionist Congress, immediately after World War II, it
was decided to attempt to renew the cooperation with the "non-Zionists" in the
framework of the Jewish Agency. This decision did not obligate immediate action,
but constituted a beginning for healing the breach.
In 1952, the official functions of the Jewish Agency and of the World Zionist
Organization were defined in the Status Law (Appendix 13) which determines that
these bodies are charged with the ingathering of the exiles and with absorption of
immigrants in Israel. Details of the cooperation between the Israeli Government and
the Executive of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency were laid
down in a Covenant signed in July 1954 (Appendix 15).
In 1969, as a result of the response of world Jewry to the threat to Israel's existence in
the period prior to the Six-Day War, the Appeals for Israel expanded. This gave a new
status to the partnership, manifested in the response to the invitation of the Israeli
Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive to a Conference for
Critical Needs that convened in Jerusalem. This symbolized a new spirit of closer
cooperation. The Diaspora participants expressed their wish to assume part of the
responsibility for planning and execution of programs and services of the Jewish
Agency.
In 1971, the representatives of the World Zionist Organization invited the United
Israel Appeal and Keren Hayesod to negotiate and sign an "Agreement for the
Reconstitution of the Jewish Agency" (Appendix 16). In accordance with this
agreement, the Jewish Agency was charged with responsibility for working
principally in the State of Israel, as a partner in the building of the State and the
advancement of society. This was manifested in creation of the Youth Aliyah
Department and the Department for Immigration and Absorption for immigrants from
countries of distress, and in support for educational activities, youth care, rural
settlement and housing of immigrants. In 1979, the Jewish Agency Assembly
approved the creation of the Department for Renewal and Development, for
rehabilitation of neighborhoods and development towns throughout Israel. In October
50
1992, the Rural Settlement Department and the Renewal Department were merged to
form the Department for Urban and Rural Development.
The Jewish Agency Assembly
The Assembly is the supreme institution of the Jewish Agency. Since the Thirty-
Second Zionist Congress it has been made up of 518 members. 50% of its members
are representatives of the World Zionist Organization, 30% are representatives of the
United Israel Appeal in the USA and 20% are representatives of Keren Hayesod in
the other Countries.
The Assembly convenes once yearly, generally in the last week of June.
Functions of the Assembly
1.To receive and examine reports of the Board of Governors.

2.To make recommendations on fundamental issues.
3.To determine matters of policy and basic objectives of the Jewish Agency.
4.To express an opinion as regards principal trends in the budget, including long-
term forecasts.
5.To discuss and decide on the budgets submitted by the Board of Governors.
6.To make decisions on the matters cited above.
7.To elect the Board of Governors and its Chairman.
The Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency
The Board of Governors determines the policy of the Jewish Agency. It directs,
inspects, controls and guides its activities (Appendix No.6).
All the bodies, officials and office-holders in the Jewish Agency work in the
framework of the policy determined by the Board of Governors and are responsible to
the Board.
In the inter-Assembly period, the Board of Governors is fully empowered to act on

behalf of the Jewish Agency. The Board of Governors may determine policy,
provided that its decisions do not contradict previous decisions of the Assembly.
The Board of Governors approves and decides on the annual budget of the Jewish
Agency.
The Board of Governors has 120 members, in the same ratio as the Assembly: 50%
are representatives of the World Zionist Organization, 30% are representatives of the
United Israel Appeal in the USA and 20% are representatives of the bodies affiliated
to Keren Hayesod. TheBoard of Governors has 46 members who are public figures
and mayors and heads of Councils (23 were elected by the World Zionist
Organization and 23 by the UIA and Keren Hayesod).
The Board of Governors meets three times yearly. It has committees for departmental
and budgetary matters, and for matters of organization, relations
51
between the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, the relations
between the Jewish Agency and the Government, etc.
The Executive of the Jewish Agency
The Executive directs the Jewish Agency activities, subject to the supervision of the
Board of Governors. Matters of policy laid down by the Assembly and the Board of
Governors are implemented by the Executive through the following departments:
1.Immigration and Absorption

2.Development and Urban and Rural Settlement
3.Youth Aliyah (until September 1996, except several institutions) Human
Resources
4.Finance
5.The Unit for the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Eastern Europe
6.The Pincus Fund
The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Executive is also the Chairman of
the Jewish Agency Executive. He serves as Chairman of the Jewish
Agency Assembly when it convenes.
The Executive is made up of members serving by virtue of their function (ex officio)
and members elected by the Board of Governors.
The Joint Authority for Jewish Zionist Education (Appendix 17)
The Joint Authority for Jewish Zionist Education was created in 1990, and its activity
is based on the following fundamental values: the centrality of Israel, Zionist
fulfillment and Aliyah.
The Authority is made up of two bodies: the Commission and the Executive.
The Commission (36 members) is the supreme authority and responsible for planning
policy, determining priorities and approving the budget.
The Executive (12 members) is responsible for implementing the programs, the
budget and various other matters.
In pursuance of the Authority's covenant, there are also advisory committees in

various countries in the world. Currently advisory committees exist in Australia,
USA, Canada, South Africa, England, France, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay, Argentina
and Mexico.
The Authority is made up of three professional departments and a unit for central
services whiincludes: a Pedagogic Center, a Unit for Development of Curricula, a
"Mifgashim" Center, CIS Unit and Division for High School Programs from Abroad.
52
The three professional departments:
The Department of TOra Education and Culture in the Diaspora
This Department is charged principally with the comprehensive development and

furthering of Jewish education in the spirit of TOra and Zion, and with the special
school network in the Diaspora and teacher training.
The Department of Jewish Education and Culture in the Diaspora
This Department is charged principally with the comprehensive development and

advancement of Jewish Zionist education in the Diaspora, the Hebrew Language,
teaching of Israel and Israeli culture, the Jewish school system in the Diaspora and
teacher training.
The Department of Youth and Hechalutz and Informal Education
This Department is charged principally with informal Jewish-Zionist education

among the Zionist youth movements, community youth organizations and
the youth organizations of the religious streams in the Israel Experience programs,
and with training professional manpower for these fields.
The Education Authority has placed the following goals at the top of its scale of
priorities:
1.The Israel Experience
Israel Experience for youth from the Diaspora, as an important element in shaping
the Jewish Zionist identity of the individual.
2.Training and Development of Manpower in Education
The Authority trains the educators, before they begin to teach, in teacher training
institutions in several countries and in Israel.
3.Curricula and Study Materials
Development of curricula and study materials at all levels and of all kinds of
Jewish education; the Pedagogic Center provides library services and educational
resources, counseling, training for Jewish educators, and brings the best from
broad and varied fields of technology in Jewish education for professionals, non-
professionals, and the finest leadership. The Pedagogic Center is at the cutting
edge for supply of quality educational material for learning from a distance
through the Internet and provision of an answer to the needs of small or large
communities.
Kiriat Hahinukh offers today accommodation for 650 students, classrooms and
essential services.
53
Appendixes [Sic]
Appendix No. 2
List of the Zionist Congresses
Congress
First 1897 Basel 204 delegates Founding of the World Zionist

Organization Adoption of Basel
Program.
Second 1898 Basel 349 delegates Establishment of "Jewish Colonial
Trust".
Third 1899 Basel 153 delegates Discussion of interpretation of
Basel Program.
Fourth 1900 London 498 delegates Discussion of expulsion of
Romanian Jews and distress of workers
in Eretz-lsrael.
Fifth 1901 Basel 358 delegates Formation of the Jewish National Fund –
Keren Kayemet Le'Israel.
Sixth 1903 Basel 592 delegates The debate on the "Uganda Plan".
Seventh1905 Basel 497 delegates First Congress after Herzl. David

Wolfsohn elected as Presiden of the
World Zionist Organization. Re-approval
of Basel Program. Secession of
Territorialists from the WZO.
Eighth 1907 The Hague 324 delegates It was decided to establish the Palestine
Office in Jaffa, chaired by Arthur
Ruppin.
Ninth 1909 Hamburg 364 delegates For the first time the representatives of
he workers' parties in Palestine
participated in the Congress.
Tenth 1911 Basel 338 delegates Discussion of practical work in Eretz

Israel.
Eleventh 1913 Vienna 539 delegates Discussion of the problems of the

collective agricultural labor settlements
in Eretz Israel.
Twelfth 1921 Carlsbad 512 delegates First Congress after World War I and
After the Balfour Declaration. Approval
of decisions of London Conference of
1920 to found Keren Hayesod, and
approval of purchase of lands in Jezreel
Valley.
Thirteenth 1923 Carlsbad 331 delegates It was decided to open the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem.
54
Fourteenth 1925 Vienna 311 delegates Held during the Fourth Aliyah. A
discussion was held on the subject of
private enterprise and national
settlement. It was decided to abolish the
party "shekels" and to introduce "one
shekel".
Fifteenth 1927 Basel 281 delegates Crisis of the Fourth Aliyah and severe
unemployment in Eretz Israel
Sixteenth 1929 Zurich 310 delegates Founding of the Jewish Agency.
The Fifth Aliyah and improvement in the
economic situation in Eretz Israel.
Seventeenth 1931 BaseI 254 delegates Convened after the riots of 1929 and
Lord Passfield's White Paper. Opposition was
expressed to the wording of the "fina
aim" of Zionism, as submitted by
Revisionist Zionism, and the
Revisionists staged a walkout from the
Congress.
Eighteenth 1933 Prague 318 delegates The Congress was held in the shadow of
Hitler's rise to power.
Nineteenth 1935 Lucerne 463 delegates Persecutions of German Jewry.
Twentieth 1937 Zurich 484 delegates Consideration of British Peel
Commission report which proposed
partition of Palestine.
Twenty- First 1939 Geneva 527 delegates Discussion of struggle against the
"White Paper".
Twenty- Second 1946 Basel 385 delegates First Congress after Holocaust.
Discussion of "illegal" immigration and
political and military fight against British
rule. Decision to establish the ewish
State immediately.
Twenty- Third 1951 Jerusalem
446 delegates First Congress in sovereign Israel.
Adoption of "Jerusalem Program".
Twenty- Fourth 1956 Jerusalem
496 delegates Discussion of Israel's security situation.
Twenty- Fifth Dec. '60-Jan. '61 Jerusalem
521 delegates Deliberations on Jewish education in the
Diaspora, and relations between the
Israeli Government and the WZO.
Twenty-Sixth Dec.'64 - Jan.'65 Jerusalem
529 delegates Debate on dangers of assimilation in the
Diaspora, and the need to heighten
Jewish awareness. The first Congress
elected in pursuance of the present
Constitution, instead of the Shekel
System which was abolished.
Twenty-Seventh 1968 Jerusalem
644 delegates The new "Jerusalem Program" was
approved.
55
Twenty-Eighth 1972 Jerusalem
559 delegates "The Duties of the Individual Zionist”
were laid down.
Twenty-Ninth
1978 Jerusalem 636 delegates Resolution passed on amendment of the
”Jerusalem Program" and on "Duties of
the Individual Zionist". A resolution was
passed on the centrality of Israel and
another resolution defining Zionism as a
national liberation movement.
Thirtieth 1982 Jerusalem 656 delegates The Congress repeated its support of the
State of Israel in its quest for peace and
security, and confirmed the incontestable
right of the Jewish people to the Land of
Israel.
Thirty- First 1987 Jerusalem 659 delegates It was decided to change the priorities of
the Zionist movement and concentrate on
the creation of a world movement for
Zionist ”Hagshama". All the necessary
resources and tools will be made
available to the ”Magshimim" movement
for the realization of its aims.
Thirty-Second 1992 Jerusalem
721 delegates The Congress concentrated on the
subject of the aliyah and absorption of
Jews from the former Soviet Union and
Ethiopia, an area which constituted the
culminating point of the World Zionist
Organization and the Jewish Agency
between the Thirty-First and the Thirty-
Second Congress. At this Congress a
decision was approved for forming a
committee to examine the structure of
the World Zionist Organization, and a
committee to examine the system of
elections to Congress. It was also
decided to strengthen the involvement of
the Zionist movement in the life of the
Jewish communities around the world,
inter alia in the CIS and Eastern
Europe. The Congress recognized anew
the Zionist Federation of Hungary,
which renewed its activity this having
been interrupted during the years of the
Communist rule over Hungary.
(Note by the Author: At the time of writing (2016) five more Zionist Congresses were
held in Jerusalem since 1992, namely: the 33rd in 1997. The 34th in 2002, the 35th in
2006, the 36th in 2010 and 37th in 2015)
56
Appendix No. 3
Presidents of the World Zionist Organization
1897 – 1904 Theodor Herzl
1905 – 1911 David Wolfsohn
1911 – 1920 Otto Warburg
1931 – 1935 Nahum Sokolow
1935 – 1946 Prof. Chaim Weizmann
1956 – 1968 Dr. Nahum Goldmann
Since the Twenty-Seventh Zionist Congress, no President has been elected.
Appendix No. 4
Chairmen of the Zionist General Council
1897 – 1904 Theodor Herzl
1911 – 1920 Otto Warburg (His deputy during the years 1913-1918 was Dr. Yehiel
Chelnov).
1921 – 1925 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Peretz Hayot
1925 – 1933 Arye Leon Motzkin
1935 – 1941 Menachem Ussishkin
1946 – 1949 Dr. Stephan Weiss
1951 – 1959 Joseph Shprintzak
1959 – 1961 BerI Locker
1961 – 1968 Yaakov Tzur
1968 – 1971 Ehud Avriel
1972 – 1978 Yitzchak Navon
1978 – 1982 Yitzchak Peretz
July –
Dec. 1982 Mordechai Dayan (Acting Chairman)
57
1982 – 1987 Ephraim Even
1987 – 1992 Rabbi Asher Hirsch
1992 - Yitzhak Peretz
XXXXX
Appendix No. 5
Chairmen of the Zionist Executive
Appendix No. 6
Chairmen of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors
1972 – 1984 Max Fisher
1984 – 1988 Charles Hoffberger
1988-1995 Mendel Kaplan
1995 - Charles Goodman
XXXXX
Appendix No. 7
KKL-JNF World Chairmen
1902 – 1907 Yona (Johann) Krementzky
1907 – 1919 Max Bodenheimer
1919 – 1922 Nehemia de Lieme
1922 – 1942 Menahem Ussishkin
1942 – 1944 BerI Katznelson, Rabbi Meir Bar-lan, Avraham Granott
1944 – 1961 Avraham Granot
1961 – 1977 Jacob Tsur
1977 - Moshe Rivin
1983 – 1994 Mordechai Dayan - Co-Chairman
1983 – 1994 Shlomo Ariav - Vice Chairman
58
1994 – 1996 Yona Peled - Co-Chairman
1996 - Avi Dickstein Co-Chairman
1994 - Haim Cohen - Vice Chairman
XXXXX
Appendix No. 8
Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal
Managing Directors, Presidents, Presidium, Chairmen
Managing Director (in London)
1920 – 1926 Berthold Feiwel
Joint Managing Directors (in Jerusalem)
1936 – 1968 Arthur Menahem Hantke
1926 – 1948 Leib Jaffe
1936 – 1951 Kurt Yehuda Blumenfeld
Presidents
1951 – 1956 BerI Locker
Nahum Goldmann
Presidium
1956 – 1961 Eliahu Dobkin, Chairman
Arye Leon Dulzin
Moshe Kol
Shlomo Zalman Shragai
Chairment
1961 – 1971 Israel Goldstein
1971 – 1977 Ezra Shapira
1977 – 1978 Fay Schenk
Phil Granovsky
59
1978 – 1989 Avraham Avi-hai
1989 - Shlomo Hillel
XXXXX
Appendix No. 9
"The Basel Program"
Approved on August 31,1897, at the First Zionist Congress, in Basel
Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured under
public law. The Congress contemplates the following means to the
attainment of this end:
1.The promotion by appropriate means of the settlement in Palestine of Jewish

farmers, artisans, and manufacturers.
2.The organization and uniting of the whole of Jewry by means of appropriate
institutions, both local and international, in accordance with the laws of
each country.
3.The strengthening and fostering of Jewish national sentiment and national
consciousness.
4.Preparatory steps toward obtaining the consent of governments, where necessary,
in order to reach the goal of Zionism.
Appendix No. 10
The Jerusalem Program, 1951
Approved on August 10,1951 at the 23rd Zionist Congress, the first to be held in the
State of Israel
1.The task of Zionism is the consolidation of the State of Israel, the ingathering of
exiles in Eretz Israel, and the fostering of the unity of the Jewish
people.
The program of work of the Zionist Organization is:
1.Encouragement of immigration, absorption and integration of immigrants;

support of Youth Aliyah; stimulation of agricultural settlement and
economic development; acquisition of land as the property of the people.
2.Intensive work for halutziut (pioneering) and hachsharah (training for halutziut).
3.Concerted effort to harness funds in order to carry out the tasks of Zionism.
4.Encouragement of private capital investment.
5.Fostering of Jewish consciousness by propagating the Zionist idea and
strengthening the Zionist Movement; imparting the values of Judaism;
Hebrew education and spreading the Hebrew language.
6.Mobilization of world public opinion for Israel and Zionism.
60
7.Participation in efforts to organize and intensify Jewish life on democratic
foundations, maintenance and defense of Jewish rights.
Appendix No. 11
The Revised Jerusalem Program of 1968
Adopted at the 27th Zionist Congress, held in Jerusalem, June 19, 1968
The aims of Zionism are:
1.The unity of the Jewish people and the centrality of Israel in Jewish life
2.The ingathering of the Jewish people in its historic homeland, Eretz Israel,
through aliyah from all countries;
3.The strengthening of the State of Israel which is based on the prophetic vision of
justice and peace;
4.The preservation of the identity of the Jewish people through the fostering of
Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist* education and of Jewish spiritual and
cultural values;
5.The protection of Jewish rights everywhere.
*Revised by the Zionist General council XXXI/5 (June 1991).
Appendix No. 12
The Duties of the Individual Zionist
The following obligations stem from the tasks and functions embraced by the
Jerusalem Program, as well as from membership in the Zionist
Organization:
1.To implement aliyah to Israel.

2.To be an active member of the Territorial Organization
3.To endeavor to implement the program of the Zionist movement.
4.To study Hebrew, to give one's children a Jewish education and bring them up
towards aliyah and Zionist self-fulfillment.
5.To contribute and to be active on behalf of the Zionist Funds and to participate
actively in the consolidation of Israel's economy.
6.To play an active role in the life of one's community and its institutions, and to
endeavor to ensure their democratic nature; to strengthen Zionist
influence within the community, and to intensify Jewish education.
The Zionist Federations shall make every effort to consciousness of these duties in
their members and to leaders to set a personal example in their
implementation.
Approved at the 28th Zionist congress, which convened in 1972 in Jerusalem.

Approved and adopted as an integral part of the resolutions of the 29th
congress, held in February-March 1978 in Jerusalem.
61
Appendix No. 13
The World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel (Status) Law 5713-
1952
(Unofficial Translation)
The State of Israel regards itself as the creation of the entire Jewish people, and its
gates are open, in accordance with its laws, to every Jew wishing to
immigrate to it.
The World Zionist Organization, from its foundation five decades ago, headed the
movement and efforts of the Jewish people to realize the age-old
vision of the return to the homeland and with the assistance of other Jewish circles
and bodies, carried the main responsfor establishing the State of
Israel.
The Jewish Agency for Israel is an independent voluntary association consisting of

the World Zionist Organization and other organizations and bodies. It
operates in the State of Israel in fields chosen by it with the consent of their
Government.
The World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel take care of
immigration as before and direct absorption and settlement projects in the
State.
The State of Israel recognizes the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency
for Israel as the authorized agencies which will continue to operate in
the State of Israel for the development and settlement of the country, the absorption of
immigrants from the Diaspora and the coordination of the
activities in Israel of Jewish institutions and organizations active in those fields.
The mission of gathering in the exiles, which is the central task of the State of Israel
and the Zionist Movement in our days, requires constant efforts by
the Jewish people in the Diaspora; the State of Israel, therefore, expects the
cooperation of all Jews, as individuals and groups, in building up the State
and assisting the immigration to it of the masses of the people, and regards the unity
of all sections of Jewry as necessary for this purpose.
The State of Israel expects efforts on the part of the World Zionist Organization for
achieving this unity; if, to this end, the Zionist Organization, with the
consent of the Government and the approval of the Knesset, should decide to broaden
its basis, the enlarged body will enjoy the status conferred upon
the World Zionist Organization in the State of Israel.
The provisions of Sections 5 and 6 apply mutatis mutandis to the Jewish Agency for
Israel.
62
Details of the status of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for
Israel and the form of their cooperation with the Government shall be
determined by Covenants to be made in Israel between the Government and each of
these two bodies.
The Covenant with the World Zionist Organization shall be based on the declaration
of the 23rd Zionist Congress in Jerusalem that the practical work of
the World Zionist Organization and its various bodies for the fulfillment of their
historic task in Eretz-lsrael requires full cooperation and coordination on its
part with the State of Israel and its Government, in accordance with the laws of the
State.
The Covenant with the Jewish Agency for Israel shall provide for full cooperation and
coordination on its part with the State of Israel and its Government,
in accordance with the laws of the State.
Two committees shall be set up for the coordination of activities between the
Government and the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for
Israel in the spheres in which each of them is to operate according to the Covenant
made with it. The tasks of the committees shall be determined by the
Covenants.
The Covenants and any variation or amendment thereof made with the consent of the
two parties shall be published in Reshumot and shall come into
force on the day of publication, unless they provide for an earlier or later day for this
purpose.
The World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel are juristic persons
and may enter into contracts, acquire, hold and relinquish property
and be parties to any legal negotiations.
The World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel, each of them, and
their respective funds and other institutions shall be exempt from
taxes and other compulsory Government charges, subject to such restrictions and
conditions as may be laid down by the Covenant; the exemption shall
come into force on the coming into force of the Covenant.
DAVID BEN-GURION
Prime Minister
YOSEF SPRINZAK
Chairman of the Knesset
Interim President of the State
63
Appendix No. 14
Covenant between the Government of Israel and the World Zionist Organization
The Covenant entered into between the Government of Israel (hereinafter - the
Government) and the World Zionist Organization (hereinafter - the WZO)
according to the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel (Status)
Law, 5711-1952 is hereby published.
Whereas The Government is desirous to enhance the activities of the WZO and the
WZO desires to cooperate and to act in full coordination with the State
of Israel and its Government, in accordance with the laws of the State;
Now Therefore this Covenant is hereby entered into:
1.The functions of the WZO are as follows:
1.The organization of immigration abroad and the transfer of immigrants and their
property to Israel.
2.Participation in immigrants' housing and in their absorption.
3.Health services in connection with immigration and absorption.
4.Youth Aliya and youth care and training.
5.Maintenance and support in Israel and outside of Israel of cultural, educational,
scientific, religious, sports and social service institutions
6.Agricultural settlement and acquisition of property and its preparation by the
institutions of the WZO.
7.Participation in the establishment and enlargement of development enterprises in
Israel.
8.Encouragement of private capital investment in Israel.
9.Maintenance and support of cultural enterprises, institutes of higher education
and research institutes.
10.The care of aged, disabled, handicapped and other persons in need of assistance
and social services.
And only upon declaration by the WZO that it will implement only those activities,
within the realm of functions described above, which the Jewish Agency
does not actually implement, within its realm of functions.
1.Any activity of the WZO or on its behalf for the purpose of performing all or any
of the above functions shall be carried out in Israel in accordance
with the laws of the State of Israel applicable from time to time, including
administrative directions in force from time to time with regard to the
governmental authorities whose jurisdiction includes or is relevant to the activity
in question.
2.In all fields covered by this Covenant the WZO shall act on the basis of plans
agreed upon in advance with the Government or recommended by
the Coordinating Committee defined hereinafter.
64
3.The WZO shall, in agreement with the Government, coordinate the activities in
Israel of Jewish institutions and organizations operating with public
funds within the sphere of the functions of the WZO.
4.The WZO may carry out any of its functions through its own departments and
institutions under its control, and it may enlist in its activities the
cooperation of other institutions, provided that it shall not delegate any of its
functions or rights according to this Covenant and shall not authorize
any body or institution to carry out its functions, wholly or partly, without the
prior written consent of the Government.
5.The WZO shall be responsible for the mobilization of financial and material
resources required for the execution of its functions and mainly derived
from contributions, donations, grants and bequests and devises from
communities all over the world, from the income of investments and from
loans.
6.The Government shall consult with the WZO with regard to legislation
specifically affecting the functions of the WZO before such legislation' is
submitted to the Knesset.
7.There is hereby established a Coordinating Committee for the purpose of
coordinating activities between the Government and the WZO for the
avoidance of duplication in all the fields covered by this Covenant (hereinafter
referred to as - "The Committee"). The Prime Minister shall be the
Chairman of the Committee and in his absence - the Chairman of the Executive
of the WZO.
The Committee shall consist of an even number of members, not less than four,
half of whom shall be members of and appointed by the
Government and half of whom shall be members and appointed by the WZO.
The Government and the WZO shall be entitled from time to time to
replace members of the Committee appointed by them respectively and to
appoint others in their stead, provided that the new members shall be
members of the Government and of the Executive of the WZO, as the case may
be.
8.The Committee shall meet at least thtimes a year and shall have the power to
appoint sub-committees consisting of its own members and/or of
other persons.
The Committee shall from time to time submit to the Government and to the
WZO reports of its deliberations and recommendations, subject to the
foregoing provisions. The Committee shall determine its own rules of procedure.
9.The Government undertakes to see to it that its ministries and competent

authorities provide the WZO, its Funds and other Institutions defined in
the Annex to this Covenant with all permits and facilities required by law for the
carrying out of the activities specified in this Covenant.
10.All contributions, gifts, grants, devices and bequests to the WZO or to any of its
Funds and other institutions defined in the Annex to this Covenant
wholly or partly, shall be exempt from all taxes and compulsory charges.
65
Furthermore, the WZO and its aforementioned Funds and other institutions shall
be exempt from all taxes and other compulsory government
charges specified in the Annex to this Covenant, subject to the limitations and
conditions stated in the said Annex.
11.Any proposed change or amendment to this Covenant or its Annex, or any

addition thereto, shall be made in writing and shall require the consent
of the Government and the WZO.
12.The Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Zionist Executive, also
called the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, entered into in
5714-1954, is repealed.
13.This Covenant shall become effective as of the 28th ofSivan 573l (June21,
1971).
ANNEX
to the Covenant between the Government of Israel and the World Zionist
Organization
1.In this Annex:
"The WZO" - including its Funds and other Institutions. "The Funds and other
Institutions of the WZO" means -
1.Keren Hayesod - the United Israel Appeal.

2.The Jewish National Fund.
3.Companies for the benefit of the public under the Charitable Trusts Ordinance
exclusively controlled by WZO.
4.Any corporation wholly owned and controlled by the WZO and/or by any of the
Funds and other Institutions mentioned above, wholly or partly, which
is non-profit-making or whose activities and/or properties are exclusively
devoted to the achievement of the purposes of the WZO and/or of the
said Funds and Institutions; provided that in the event of the winding up of any
such corporation all its residual assets shall be transferred to the
WZO or to any such Fund or Institutions as aforesaid:
In this sub-clause –
"corporation" means any company, association or other legal entity

exclusively controlled by the WZO or by all or any of the aforementioned
Funds and Institutions, wholly or partly.
1.Subject to the following limitations and conditions, the WZO shall be exempt
from the taxes and compulsory government charges bear income
wholly devoted to the achievement of its purposes.
2.Fees under the Land (Fees) Regulations, 5735-1975.

3.Land appreciation tax and additional tax under the Land Appreciation Tax Law,
5723-1963.
4.Loans imposed by law.
66
5.Income tax and capital gains tax under the Income Tax Ordinance and any other
tax imposed on income; provided that the exemption shall not
apply to dividend or interest on debentures paid to the WZO by a company
engaged in any commerce, trade or business, for the purpose of the settlement of
Israel or the absorption of immigrants.
6.Fees under the Companies (Fees and Forms) Regulations, 5736-1976, imposed
according to clauses 1,2(a), 2(b), 2(d), 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the
First Schedule, provided that the exemption shall only apply:
1.In the case of a company with capital stock - it applies only with regard to
the fee whose relation to the entire fee is proportional to the share of the WZO, its
Funds and its other Institutions, in the capital stock of the company relative to the
entire capital stock.
2.In the case of a company without capital stock - it applies only with regard
to the part of the fee whose relations to the entire fee which is proportional to the
number of members of the company who are from the WZO, its Funds and other
Institutions relative to the total number of members.
2.Stamp duty under the Stamp Duty on Documents Law, 5721-1961, on the
following documents:
1.Debentures issued by the WZO, the redemption of which is guaranteed by

the State of Israel.
2.The transfer or assignment to the WZO of shares in a company controlled
by not more than five persons, and mainly concerned with the acquisition and holding
of land.
3.Guarantees of debts of the WZO and guarantees given by the WZO of debts
of bodies in whose budgets the WZO participates.
2.License fees under the Traffic Ordinance for vehicles other than private motor
vehicles, of the WZO and its Funds and other Institutions.
1.The Himnuta Co., Ltd. is exempt from taxes and from compulsory Government
charges imposed by the enactments detailed in clauses 2(a), 2(b),
2(c), 2(d), 2(e) - with regard to income accrued by its land transactions and
2(g)(1), accordingly, under the limitations and conditions detailed in
said clauses.
2.The exemptions specified in this Annex are in addition to and not in derogation
of exemptions under the law.
And in witness thereof done and signed in Jerusalem on the third day of the month of
Tamuz, 5739 (the 28th day of June, 1979).
Arye L. Dulzin
The World Zionist organization
Menachem Begin
Prime Minister of Israel
67
Appendix No. 15
Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel
COVENANT
Entered into pursuant to the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel
(Status) Law, 5713-1952 (hereinafter referred to as "the Law of
Status")
BETWEEN
The Government of Israel (hereinafter referred to as "the Government")
AND
The Jewish Agency for Israel (hereinafter referred to as "the Jewish Agency")
WHEREAS
The Government is desirous to enhance the activities of the Jewish Agency and the
Jewish Agency desires to cooperate and to act in full coordination with
the State of Israel and its Government, in accordance with the laws of the State
NOW THEREFORE this Covenant is hereby entered into:
1.The functions of the Jewish Agency are as follows:
1.The organization of immigration abroad and the transferring of immigrants and

their property to Israel.
2.Participation in immigrants' housing and in their absorption in agriculture,
industry, trades and professions.
3.Health services in connection with immigration and absorption and to the
underprivileged.
4.Youth Aliya and youth care and training.
5.Maintenance and support of cultural, educational, scientific, religious, sports and
social service institutions and activities therein.
6.Maintenance and support of institutions of higher education and research
institutes.
7.The care of aged, disabled, handicapped and other persons in need of assistance
and social services.
8.Generally to engage by itself or in cooperation with other institutions in any
activities designed to help immigrants and needy persons to become
integrated in the life of the community in Israel.
68
1.Any activity carried out in Israel by or on behalf of the Jewish Agency for the
purpose of performing all or any of the aforementioned functions shall
be carried out in accordance with the laws of the State of Israel applicable from
time to time, including administrative directions in force from time
to time with regard to the governmental authorities whose jurisdiction includes
or is relevant to the activity in question.
2.In the organization of immigration and the handling of immigrants, the Jewish
Agency shall act on the basis of plans agreed upon in advance with
the Government or recommended by the Coordinating Committee defined
hereinafter.
3.The Jewish Agency shall, in agreement with the Government, coordinate the
activities in Israel of Jewish institutions and organizations operating
with public funds within the sphere of the functions of the Jewish Agency.
4.The Jewish Agency may carry out any of its functions through its own
departments and institutions under its control, and it may enlist in its activities
the cooperation of other institutions, provided that it shall not delegate any of its
functions or rights hereunder and shall not authorize any body or
institutioto carry out its functions, wholly or partly, without the prior written
consent of the Government.
5.The Jewish Agency shall be responsible for the mobilization of financial and
material resources required for the execution of its functions and
mainly derived from contributions, donations, grants and bequests from
communities all over the world, from the income of investments and from
loans.
6.The Government shall consult with the Jewish Agency with regard to legislation
specifically affecting the functions of the Jewish Agency before such
legislation is submitted to the Knesset.
7.There is hereby established a Coordinating Committee (hereinafter referred to as
- "The Committee") for the purpose of coordinating activities
between the Government and the Jewish Agency in all the fields covered by this
Covenant.
The Committee shall consist of an even number of members, not less than four
(4), half of whom shall be members of and appointed by the
Government and half of whom shall be members of and appointed by the
Executive of the Jewish Agency. The Government and the Jewish Agency
shall be entitled from time to time to replace members of the Committee
appointed by them respectively and to appoint others in their stead,
provided that the new members shall be members of the Government or of the
Executive of the Jewish Agency, as the case may be.
8.The Committee shall meet at least once a month and shall have the power to
appoint sub-committees consisting of its own members and/or of
other persons. The Committee shall from time to time submit to the Government
and to the Jewish Agency reports of its deliberations and
recommendations. Subject to the foregoing provisions. the Committee shall
determine its own rules of procedure.
69
9.The Government undertakes to see to it that its ministries and competent
authorities provide the Jewish Agency and its Funds and other
Institutions defined in the Annex hereto with all permits and facilities required
by law for the carrying out of the activities specified herein.
10.All contributions, gifts, grants, donations and bequests to the Jewish Agency or
to any of its Funds and other Institutions defined in the Annex
hereto shall be exempt from all taxes and compulsory charges.
Furthermore, the Jewish Agency and its aforementioned Funds and other
Institutions shall be exempt from all taxes and other compulsory
government charges specified in the Annex hereto, subject to the limitations and
conditions stated in the said Annex.
11.Any proposed change or amendment to this Covenant or its Annex, or any

addition thereto, shall be made in writing and shall require the consent
of the Government and the Jewish Agency.
12.The Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Zionist Executive, also
called the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, entered into in
1954, is hereby repealed.
13.This Covenant shall be deemed to be in force and effect as of 28th of Sivan
5731 (June 21,1971).
Done and signed in Jerusalem on the 3rd day of Tamouz, 5739 (the 28th day of June,
1979).
The Government of Israel
By Menachem Begin Prime Minister
By Chairman of the Executive Arye (Leon) Dulzin
The Jewish Agency for Israel by Chairman of the Board of Governors Max M. Fisher
ANNEX
to the Covenant between the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel
1.In this Annex:
"The Jewish Agency" - including its Funds and other Institutions. "The
Funds and other Institutions of the Jewish Agency" means -
1.The United Jewish Appeal, Inc.;

2.The United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York, Inc.;
3.The United Israel Appeal, Inc.;
4.The United Israel Appeal of Canada - Hamagbit Hameuchedet Le Israel
d'Canada Inc.;
5.The Joint Israel Appeal of Great Britain;
70
6.Companies for the benefit of the public under the Charitable Trusts Ordinance
exclusively controlled by the Jewish Agency.
7.Any corporation wholly owned and controlled by the Jewish Agency and/or by
any of the Funds and other Institutions mentioned above, which is
non-profit-making or whose activities and/or properties are exclusively devoted
to the achievement of the purposes of the Jewish Agency and/or of
the said Funds and Institutions; provided that in the event of the winding up of
any such corporation all its residual assets shall be transferred to
the Jewish Agency or to any such Fund or Institutions as aforesaid;
In this sub-clause -
"corporation" means any company, association or other legal entity

exclusively controlled by the Jewish Agency or by all or any of the
aforementioned Funds and Institutions.
1.Subject to the undermentioned limitations and conditions, the Jewish Agency

shall be exempt from the following taxes and compulsory government
charges imposed by or in accordance with the undermentioned enactments:
1.Property tax and compensations fund, under the Property Tax and Compensation
Fund Law, 1961, on those of its properties serving its purposes
which bear no income or which bear income wholly devoted to the achievement
of its purposes;
2.Fees under the Land (Fees) Regulations, 5735-1975;
3.Land appreciation tax and additional tax under the Land Appreciation Tax Law,
1963;
4.Compulsory loans imposed by Law;
5.Income tax and capital gains tax under the Income Tax Ordinance and any other
tax imposed on income; provided that the exemption shall not
apply to dividend or interest on debentures paid to the Jewish Agency by a
company engaged in any commerce, trade or business, unless such
company is so engaged for the purpose of the settlement of Israel or the
absorption of immigrants;
6.Fees under the Companies (Fees and Forms) Regulations, 1976, clauses 1, 2(a),
2(b), 2(d), 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the First Schedule, provided that
the exemption shall only apply -
1.In the case of a company with a share capital - in the proportion of the part
of the Jewish Agency and its Funds and other Institutions in
such share capital;
2.In the case of a company without a share capital - in the proportion of the
part of the Jewish Agency and its Funds and other Institutions in
the membership of the company;
1.Stamp duty under the Stamp Duty on Documents Law, 1961, on the following:
1.Debentures issued by the Jewish Agency, the redemption of which is

guaranteed by the State of Israel;
71
2.The transfer or assignment to the Jewish Agency of shares in a company
controlled by not more than five persons, and mainly concerned
with the acquisition and holding of land.
3.Guarantees of debts of the Jewish Agency and guarantees by the Jewish
Agency of debts of bodies in whose budgets the Jewish Agency
participates.
1.License fees under the Traffic Ordinance for vehicles other than private motor
vehicles, of the Jewish Agency and its Funds and other Institutions.
1.The exemptions specified in this Annex are in addition to and not in derogation
of exemptions under the law.
Appendix No. 16
Agreement for the Reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel
PREAMBLE
WHEREAS:
1.In accordance with the World Zionist Organization - Jewish Agency (Status)
Law, 5713-1952, and the Covenant entered into thereunder between the
Government of Israel and the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel dated
July 26,1954, the World Zionist Organization (WZO) has undertaken certain tasks set
forth therein, and more particularly the responsibility for bringing Jewish immigrants
and refugees into Israel and for their
resettlement, rehabilitation and absorption into the country.
2.The WZO has for many years acted also as The Jewish Agency for Israel.
3.Jewish communities throughout the free world have with great devotion and
selfless dedication evidenced their deep concern for the welfare of their
fellow Jews everywhere and have contributed generously large financial means
in order to meet the urgent and continuing needs of immigration,
resettlement and absorption.
4.The historic task of repatriating to the State of Israel all homeless, persecuted
Jews seeking refuge in their historic Home, and their resettlement
therein as free and self-supporting human beings, will continue to require ever-
increasing efforts on the part of Jewish communities throughout the
world.
5.The organizations signatory to this Agreement which in the past served as the
principal instrumethrough which the financial participation of Jewish
communities outside of Israel for the work of rescue, relief and rehabilitation and
their resettlement in Israel was channeled, are determined to
intensify their service and to secure ever-increasing cooperation on the part of all
Jews throughout the world who share a sense of dedication to
these tasks.
6.The WZO seeks to obtain the active participation of Jews throughout the world
in the work of rescue, rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction
in Israel and to share with them the responsibility for the planning and the
execution of these tasks.
72
7.In the firm belief that sharing of responsibility of planning and implementing the
aforesaid tasks will strengthen the bonds existing between the
Jewish people in Israel and the Jewish communities everywhere and will serve
the best interest of all concerned.
8.The WZO has invited the organizations signatory to this Agreement to join with
it, and with each other, in the reconstruction of the Jewish Agency
for Israel on a broader basis for the purpose of continuing the tasks referred to
above, and for the mobilization of the resources required in
connection herewith.
THEREFORE, The World Zionist Organization and the organizations signatory

hereto have agreed as follows:
A.THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION AND THE JEWISH AGENCY

FOR ISRAEL
1.The WZO agrees to the reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel
(Agency) in the manner herein provided. From the effective date of
this Agreement as herein provided, "The Jewish Agency for Israel" shall
mean the body reconstituted in accordance with the provisions of
this Agreement, and is the body which enjoys the Status under the
provisions of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for
Israel (Status) Law, 5713-1952, which became effective on the 1st of
January 1976, retroactively from the 21st of June, 1971.
2.The WZO and its institutions will continue as the organs of the Zionist
Movement for the fulfillment of Zionist programs and ideals.
3.Except with respect to activities and facilities which the Government of
Israel is by law obliged to furnish, the Agency will undertake the
following functions:
1.Immigration to and absorption of immigrants in Israel.
2.Social Welfare Services in connection with immigration and
absorption.
3.Health Services in connection with immigration and absorption.
4.Education.
5.Institutions of higher learning and research.
6.Youth care and training
7.Fostering regional development and creation of centers of employment
in peripheral areas for the absorption of ohm and for their
social and community integration in urban and rural sectors and
absorption in agricultural settlement.
8.Immigrant housing.
9.Such other functions and tasks as the Agency may deem necessary or
advisable.
4.The functions and tasks and programs administered by the Agency, or to
which it may contribute funds, shall be only such as may be
carried on by tax-exempt organizations.
5.As of the effective date of this agreement, the WZO and the Agency shall
each have their own governing bodies.
B.THE RECONSTITUTED JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL
1.The Agency, as reconstituted in pursuance of this Agreement, shall consist
of the designees of the following:
73
1.The World Zionist Organization.
2.The organizations signatory to this Agreement.
3.Such other organizations, as referred to in paragraph 5 of the Preamble,
as may from time to time be given the right by the
Assembly to appoint designees.
2.The governing bodies of the Agency shall be the Assembly, the Board of
Governors and the Executive.
3.THE ASSEMBLY
1.
1.The Assembly shall be designated as follows:
a.50% of the total number of members shall be designated by
the WZO on behalf of itself and the Jewish people in
Israel:
b.30% of the total of members shall be designated by the
United Israel Appeal, Inc. New York, as representing the
Jewish Community in the United States;
c.20% of the total number of members to represent Jewish
communities in countries and areas other than Israel and
the United States (hereinafter referred to as "Keren Hayesod
Countries"), to be designated in accordance with the
distribution set forth in Annex A June 1994 attached hereto
and made a part hereof.
2.The Assembly shall consist of not more than 518 members,
designated as follows:
a.50% of the total number of members, namely 259 persons,
shall be designated by the WZO.
b.30% of the total number of members, namely 155 persons,
shall be designated by the United Israel Appeal, Inc.,
c.20% of the total number of members, namely 104 persons, to
represent Keren Hayesod Countries shall be
designated in accordance with the distribution set forth in
Annex A attached hereto and made a part hereof.
3.
a.The presence of 30% of each of the groups referred to in
subsection (a)(i) and (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph shall be
required to constitute a quorum of the Assembly.
b.For purposes of the First Assembly a quorum shall consist of
44 members of the group referred to in subsection (b)(i),
27 members of the group referred to in subsection (b)(ii) and
18 members of the group referred to in subsection
(b)(iii), respectively of this paragraph.
4.The Board of Governors shall establish the total number of
members and a number of alternate members no less than the
total number of members which shall always be an even number,
to be designated in accordance with the provisions of Article
lI.C.1(a) of the Agreement for the Reconstitution of the Jewish
Agency. This action shall be taken by the Board of Governors
not less than three (3) months prior to the meeting of the
74
Assembly. If the Board of Governors fails to take such action in
any one year, the numerical composition of the ensuing Assembly
shall be the same as the last Assembly.
2.
1.Each member of the Assembly, designated as above, or an
alternate member in his stead appointed in accordance with the
provisions of Article C 1 (d) above, shall have one vote, shall
serve for a period of one year or until the next annual meeting
of the Assembly, and shall serve without compensation. A
member of the Assembly or an alternate member is eligible for
redesignation to serve succeeding terms.
2.Between meetings of the Assembly, the designating organization
shall have the right to fill a vacancy in membership of the
Assembly created by death, resignation or inability to serve.
3.Each designating organization shall submit the list of its designated
members and alternates to the Secretary of the Agency at least
two months prior to the date set for the ensuing meeting of the
Assembly.
4.
1.An alternate shall assume the functions of a member of the
Assembly if the member does not attend the Assembly or ceases
to participate in any session thereof. In the latter case, the
alternate assumes his functions from the moment at which the
member ceases to take part until the time the member resumes his
participation, if at all.
2.A notification to the effect that a member will not take part in the
Assembly or ceases to participate, shall be given to the
Secretary of the Agency by the member himself and bear his
signature. If no such notification was received from the member,
it shall be given by the designating organization of the member.
5.
1.The Assembly shall meet once a year at a time and place
determined by the Board of Governors.
2.A special meeting of the Assembly may be convened for such
purposes and at such time and place as the Board of Governors
shall determine. The Chairman of the Assembly and the Chairman
of the Board of Governors, acting jointly, may convene a
special meeting of the Assembly at such time and place as they
shall determine.
3.
a.Twenty-five percent (25%) of the members of the Assembly
shall have the right to cause a special session of the
Assembly to be convened by giving ten (10) days written
notice of their intention to the Secretary of the Assembly,
setting forth the specific subjects which shall be on the
agenda of such special session.
b.A special session shall thereupon be convened within forty-
five (45) days from the date of such notice to deal with the
specific items suggested in the request for the special
session.
75
6.The functions of the Assembly shall be:
1.To receive andreview reports from the Board of Governors;
2.To make recommendations on major
3.To determine basic policies and goals of the Agency;
4.To review and act upon budgets submitted by the Board of
Governors;
5.To determine priorities and directions of the next annual budget
and future budgets of JAFI;
6.To adopt resolutions on the above;
7.To elect the Board of Governors.
7.The officers selected by the Assembly from among its members shall
be its Chairman, the Treasurer, and such additional officers as
the Assembly may determine from time to time. A committee on
nominations, composed in the same proportion as the Assembly,
shall be appointed to recommend candidates for office of Chairman,
Treasurer, and such other officers as the Assembly may
determine.
8.The Assembly shall establish its own rules of procedures.
4.THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
1.
1.The Board of Governors determines the policy of the Jewish
Agency for Israel and manages, supervises, controls and directs
its operations and activities.
All bodies (other than the Assembly), officers and officials of the
Jewish Agency shall act within the policies set by the Assembly
and the Board of Governors and are accountable to the Board of
Governors:
Between meetings of the Assembly, the Board of Governors shall

have full power to act for the Agency and may fix policy,
provided that its acts and decisions are not inconsistent with
previous decisions or instructions of the Assembly.
2.The Board of Governors shall have the power to appoint a

Standing Budget and Finance Committee.
3.The Board of Governors approves and determines the Annual
Budget of the Jewish Agency for Israel in accordance with the
provisions of Clause ll.F.2. hereinafter.
4.The Board of Governors elects Members of the Executive in
accordance with the provisions of clause lI.E. hereinafter.
5.The Board of Governors receives and considers reports of the
Executive.
1.
1.The Board of Governors consists of persons elected by the
Assembly from among its members as follows:
a.50% from among Members of the Assembly designated by
the WZO.
b.30% from among Members of the Assembly designated by
the United Israel Appeal, Inc. ("the UIA").
76
c.20% from among Members of the Assembly designated by
Keren Hayesod organizations.
2.In accordance with the ratios determined in subsection (a) above,
the Board of Governors shall consist of:
a.60 Governors from among Members of the Assembly
designated by the WZO substantially in the manner set forth in
Annex B attached hereto and made a part hereof.
b.36 Governors from among Members of the Assembly
designated by the UIA substantially in the manner set forth in
Annex C attached hereto and made a part hereof.
c.24 Governors for among Members of the Assembly
designated by Keren Hayesod organizations substantially in the
manner set forth in Annex D attached hereto and made a part
hereof.
3.Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) above and in
addition to the Governors referred to in subsection (b) above,
the Founding Chairman of the Board of Governors shall serve as a
life-Member of the Board of Governors and the provisions
of Section 12 herein concerning the filling of vacancies shall not
apply.
4.Associate non-voting members of the Board of Governors may be
appointed as follows:
a.Up to 5 Israelis serving as professionals in JAFI may be
appointed by the WZO as Associate non-voting Members of
the Board of Governors.
b.Up to 5 professionals of Jewish Federations and Jewish
Communities around the world may be appointed by the UIA
and the Keren Hayesod, in a manner to be decided jointly by
these two bodies, as Associate nonvoting Members of
the Board of Governors.
2.
1.The Governors referred to in section 2(b)(i) and (ii) above shall be
elected by the Assembly to serve for a period of four years
or until their successors are elected.
2.The Governors referred to in section 2(b)(iii) above shall be
elected by the Assembly to serve for a period of two years, so
that the principle of rotation may be applied as equitably as
possible with respect to Governors so elected, or until their
successors are elected.
3.Elections pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall take place on a
date to be determined by the Chairman of the Assembly
during the Assembly session at which they are to be held.
4.Subject to the provisions of subsection 2(c) above the Governors
shall retire from office on the day on which new Governors
are elected in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c).
3.
1.The Board of Governors shall, at its first session held after the
election of all its members, elect its chairman from among the
Governors referred to in section 2(b)(ii) and (iii).
77
A nominating committee selected by the Board of Governors for
this purpose shall make recommendations for the office of the
Chairman.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors, or in his absence, the

Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board of
Governors, shall preside at every meeting of the Board of
Governors.
2.The Chairman of the Board of Governors shall serve for a four-

year term.
3.Until the Chairman of the Board of Governors is elected, the
retiring Chairman of the Board of Governors shall act as Acting
Chairman and shall convene the first session of the Board of
Governors to be held after election of its Members has taken
place.
4.In the event that the office of the Chairman of the Board of
Governors becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation,
incapacity or inability to serve, the Board of Governors shall elect
from among members of the Assembly designated by the
Organization which had designated the Chairman whose office
became vacant, a Chairman who shall serve for the unexpired
term of office mentioned in subsection (b) above.
4.
1.The Board of Governors shall hold not less than four regular
sessions in each calendar year, at such times and places as shall
be determined by the Chairman of the Board of Governors;
provided that one of such regular sessions shall be held during,
or in immediate proximity to, every Assembly session and
provided further that not less than three regular sessions are held
in Israel.
2.The Chairman of the Board of Governors may convene, whenever
he thinks fit, an extraordinary meeting of the Board of
Governors for such purpose and at such time and place as he shall
determine.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors shall convene an

extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors upon the requisition in
writing of not less than 20% of the total Members of the Board of
Governors. Any such requisition shall express the object of the
meeting proposed to be called and shall be left at the Office of the
Secretary-General of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
6.
1.40% of the Governors, referred to in section 2(b)(i), together with
40% of the Governors, referred to in sections 2(b) (ii) and
(iii), present in person, shall be a quorum at any meeting of the
Board of Governors, whether held during a regular session or
held as an extraordinary meeting.
78
2.If within 30 minutes from the time appointed for any meeting, a
quorum is not present, the Chairman of the Board of
Governors shall adjourn the meeting for not less than 48 hours. If
at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within
15 minutes from the time appointed for such adjourned meeting,
30% of each of the three groups mentioned in section 2(b)
above, shall be a quorum and in such case, notwithstanding the
provisions of section 7 hereinafter, action shall be taken by
an affirmative vote of at least 75% of those present and voting.
7.
1.Actions of the Board of Governors shall be taken by a majority of
those present and voting. In counting the votes, only votes
for or against a resolution shall be taken in consideration and
abstentions shall be disregarded.
2.A resolution put to the vote of any meeting of the Board of
Governors shall be decided on a show of hands or voice vote,
unless a poll is demanded by the Chairman of the Board of
Governors or by not less than 20% of the Governors present.
3.Unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the Chairman of
the Board of Governors that a resolution has been carried or
lost, and an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting, shall
be conclusive evidence of the fact.
4.If a poll demanded it shall be taken in such a manner as the
Chairman of the Board of Governors shall direct and the result
of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at
which the poll was demanded.
8.The Governors shall not be compensated for their services as such.
9.
1.The Chairman of the Board of Governors, in consultation with the
Chairman of the Executive, shall have the power to appoint,
from time to time, Standing or Ad-hoc Committees from among
the Governors and other Assembly Members, and shall
determine the scope of their functions.
[Amendment June 1994 to become effective after the next Zionist

Congress but not later than December 31, 1997
2.
a.Without derogating from the above, the Board of Governors
shall have three Committees for Departments of the Jewish Agency
and the Eastern Europe Committee ('The Four Committees')
as follows:
1.The Department Committee for Aliyah and Klitah

2.The Department Committee for Rural and Urban
Development
3.The Department Committee for Youth Aliyah
4.The Committee for Eastern Europe
79
a.Each of these four Committees shall be chaired by two equal
Co-Chairmen, one designated by the Chairman of the Executive in
consultation with the Chairman of the Board from among the
Members of the Executive elected in accordance with section
E.3(b)(i) below, and one designated by the Chairman of the
Board in consultation with the Chairman of the Executive from
among the Members of the Board of Governors designated
by UIA or Keren Hayesod.
b.The Chairman of the Board of Governors, in consultation
with the Chairman of the Executive shall appoint, from among the
Governors and other Assembly members, members of the
Four Committees.
c.The Co-Chairmen of the Four Committees will function
according to past practice for Chairmen of Department Committees of the
Board of Governors.
d.The Co-Chairman of the Department Committee for Rural
and Urban Development who shall be designated from among the
Members of the Executive, shall be someone other than the
Head of the WZO Division of Rural Settlement.]
1.Each Committee Chairman shall report to the Board of

Governors, at such times as shall be determined by the Board of
Governors, of his Committee's findings, conclusions, and
recommendations.
1.The Board of Governors shall elect the Comptroller of the Jewish

Agency and determine the scope of his activities.
2.The Board of Governors may from time to time make such general
Regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Jewish Agency
and the administration of its activities (to be termed "the By-laws of
the Jewish Agency for Israel"), as it may deem necessary.
3.Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Governors by reason of death,
resignation, incapacity or inability to serve or by reason of a
Governor ceasing to be a Member of the Assembly, may be filled by
the other Governors, from among Members of the Assembly
designated by the Organization which had designated the Governor
whose place became vacant.
The person elected to fill any vacancy shall June serve for the unexpired
term created by such vacancy.
4.
1.Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, or a
provision in an existing service contract, the Board of Governors
may remove any Member of the Board of Governors or of the
Executive, including Members of the Executive who are
members ex officio in accordance with section ll.E.3 below,
before the expiration of their period of office as set forth in this
Agreement, and elect another Member in his stead, provided there
exists due cause for such removal.
80
2.A decision to remove a Member of the Board of Governors or the
Executive will be valid provided that (1) a written notice of 21
days has been given to all Members; (2) that the Member has
been given adequate opportunity to make a statement in his
defense, either in writing or orally to the Members of the Board;
and (3) that the decision was accepted by a 2/3 majority of
those Members present, provided that at least 75% of the total
number of Members of the Board are present.
3.The person elected to fill the vacancy created by the removal of. a
Member under this Section, shall serve for the unexpired
term created by such vacancy.
5.The Board of Governors shall act, notwithstanding any vacancy
occurring in its Members, and shall continue so to act and discharge
its functions and exercise its powers in accordance with the provisions
hereof.
6.If by reason of war or of any other unexpected or unusual situation
beyond the control of the Board of Governors (hereinafter "the
State of Emergency") it shall be necessary in the opinion of both the
Chairman of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Board of
Governors (in this section "the Chairman") to deviate from the
provisions of this Agreement, the following provisions shall apply:
1.The said opinion shall be signed, or approved by letter, telegram
or telex, by both Chairmen, and may consist of two
separate documents.
2.As long as the State of Emergency shall continue, or as long as it
will not be possible, in the opinion of the Chairmen, to
convene the Governing Bodies of the Jewish Agency in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, the Members of the
Executive present in Israel shall constitute the Executive (in this
section "the Executive in Israel").
3.All the powers, authorities and functions vested in the Board of
Governors and the Executive, by virtue of this Agreement,
shall vest in the Executive in Israel.
4.The Executive in Israel shall, from time to time, fix the quorum at
its meetings, the required majority and the method of
voting thereat.
5.Every Member of any of the Governing bodies of the Jewish
Agency shall continue to serve as such until proper elections shall
take place, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
6.A statement in writing of both Chairmen that the State of
Emergency has come to an end shall be conclusive evidence of the
fact, and shall be effective as of the date stipulated in said
statement.
7.At the termination of the State of Emergency as aforesaid, the
Chairmen shall take all necessary steps for the reconvening of
the Governing Bodies of the Jewish Agency in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement, and, if necessary for the
election of the Members of the Board of Governors and Members
of the Executive.
7.The Board of Governors shall establish its own Rules of Procedure.
81
1.THE EXECUTIVE
1.The Executive shall administer the operations of the Jewish Agency,
subject to the control of the Board of Governors.
Polices adopted by the Assembly and the Board of Governors shall be

implemented by the Executive and the Departments under the
direction of the Chairman of the Executive.
The Executive shall act as a collective body with collective

responsibility.
2.
1.The Executive shall be composed of Members ex officio and of
Members selected by the Board of Governors.
2.Members of the Executive shall serve as such only as long as they
are Members of the Board of Governors.
3.
1.The following holders of offices or positions shall be Members ex
officio of the Executive while holding such offices or
positions:
a.The Chairman of the Assembly, who shall also serve as
Chairman of the Executive
b.The Chairman of the Board of Governors.
c.The Founding Chairman of the Board of Governors, who
shall serve as a life Member of the Executive.
d.The Treasurer
e.The Chairman of the Board of Governors Committee on
Budget and Finance
f.The Chairman of the UIA,lnc.
g.The National Chairman of the UJA.
h.The President of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA).
i.The President of the Council of Jewish Federations (U.S.A.).
j.The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Keren Hayesod.
k.The World Chairman of Keren Hayesod.
2.The following Governors shall be Members at large of the
Executive.
[Amendment June 1994 to become effective after the next Zionist

Congress but not later than December 31, 1997: (i) six Members to be
appointed by the WZO from among the Governors referred to in
clause ILD. 2(b) (i).
a.four Members, to be appointed by the WZO, from among the

Governors referred to in clause ll.D. 2(b)(i).
b.two Members to be appointed by Keren Hayesod
Organizations, and who serve as Appeal Trustees on the World Board
of Trustees of Keren Hayesod, provided however t, in the
event that the Chairman of the Board of Governors and/or
82
the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee be a
Governor or Governors elected from among the Governors
referred to in clause II D.(2)(b)(iii), then one or two
Governors, as the case may be, shall be appointed in their place
by the UIA as Members at large of the Executive from
among the Governors referred to in clause II D.(2)(b)(ii)
c.In the event that any of the Members ex officio of the
Executive listed in paragraph (a) above shall hold more than
one of the offices or positions set forth in items (i) through
(xi), then the respective organization, either WZO, UIA
Inc. or Keren Hayesod, shall appoint another Member to be a
member at large of the Executive, provided that the
appointment is limited to the period that more than one of
those offices or positions is held by any of the said
members ex officio of the Executive.
2.The Chairman of the Assembly and the Treasurer shall serve for a
period of four years, or until their successors are elected.
[Amendment June 1994 to become effective after next Zionist Congress

but not later than December31, 1994 the followmg paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and
7 shall be deleted and paragraphs 8-15 shall be renumbered 4-11.]
4.The Board of Governors shall elect to the Executive and as Heads of

Departments:
1.one Member, from among Members of the Assembly designated
by the WZO to serve as Head of the Immigration and
Absorption Department.
2.one Member, from among Members of the Assembly designated
by the WZO, to serve as Head of the Youth Aliyah
Department.
5.
1.Elections pursuant to section 4 shall take place on a date to be
determined by the Chairman of the Board of Governors during
the Board of Governors session held during, or in immediate
proximity to the Assembly session at which the Chairman of the
Assembly and the Treasurer are to be elected.
2.Heads of Departments elected as aforesaid shall:
a.serve for a period ending on the Board of Governors session
held during, or in immediate proximity to, the Assembly
session at which the Chairman of the Assembly and the
Treasurer shall retire.
b.retire from office on the day at which elections of new Heads
of Departments are to be held in accordance with
subsection (a) above.
6.
1.Notwithstanding any provision herein before mentioned, the
Board of Governors may, at the meeting at which Heads of
Departments retire in manner aforesaid in section 5 above, resolve
not to elect one or more of the persons mentioned in
83
section 4 and not to fill any vacated office of Head of Department,
and in such case the provisions of section 12 hereinafter
shall apply.
2.Should a Head of Department not be elected as aforesaid:
a.The WZO shall have the power to appoint to the Executive
one Member, from among the Governors referred to in
clause ll.D.2(b)(i), who shall serve as a Member at large until
a new Head of Department is elected pursuant to the
provisions of section 7.
b.The Chairman of the Executive shall assume, and, with the
consent of the Chairman of the Board of Governors may
delegate to a Member of the Executive, the functions of the
Head of such Department until a new Head of Department
is elected pursuant to the provisions of section 7.
7.In the event that one or more of the persons mentioned in section 4
above are not elected to the Executive, the Chairman of the
Board of Governors shall, by mutual consent with the Chairman of the
Executive, set a date for election and in case any person is so
elected, he shall serve as Head of Department for the unexpired term of
office mentioned in section 5.
8.Members of the Executive may be compensated for their services as
such, in such manner as may be determined by the Board of
Governors from time to time.
9.The Board of Governors may, in its discretion, appoint Associate
Members of the Executive, who shall serve on such terms and for
such periods of time, and perform such duties and functions as the
Board of Governors may from time to time determine. No more
than six Associate Members shall serve at any time.
Associate Members shall have the right to attend all meetings of the
Executive, but they shall not be entitled to vote.
10.
1.The Executive shall meet not less than once each month at such
dates and places, either in Israel or abroad, as the
Chairman of the Executive shall determine.
2.The Board of Governors shall from time to time, by resolution, fix
the quorum at the meetings of the Executive, the required
majority and the method of voting thereat.
[Amendment June 1994 to become effective after next Zionist

Congress, but not later than December 31, 1997
11. In the event that the office of the Chairman of the Executive or the
Treasurer becomes vacant, the Board of Governors may elect an acting
successor who shall serve in that capacity until a new successor is
elected in accordance with the provisions thereof.]
11.In the event that the office of the Chairman of the Executive, the
Treasurer, or any Head of Department becomes vacant, the Board
84
of Governors may elect an Acting Successor who shall serve in that
capacity until a new successor is elected in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Such Acting Successor and successor shall be from among the

Governors referred to in clause
12.The Executive shall act, notwithstanding any vacancy occurring in its

Members, and shall continue so to act and discharge its
functions and exercise its powers in accordance with the provisions
hereof.
13.
1.The Executive is empowered to exercise all the powers of the
Agency to enter into contracts; to borrow money, to issue
evidences of indebtedness, debentures, guarantees and other
securities; to acquire, and dispose of, any property; to execute
any document in respect of any matter whatsoever concerning the
Jewish Agency and generally to represent the Agency and
to act in its name and on its behalf.
2.The Executive may delegate any of its powers to one or more of
its Members.
3.The Board of Governors may, by resolution, authorize from time
to time the Executive or any Member thereof to delegate,
with the power to sub-delegate, to any person who is not a
member of the Executive, the power to act on behalf of the Agency
in such manner and extent as the Board of Governors shall deem
fit.
14.The principal office of the Executive shall be located in Jerusalem.
The Executive may, with the approval of the Board of Governors,
establish and maintain offices in other parts of the world, as may be
required for the efficient conduct of the affairs of the Agency.
15.Subject to the provisions of section 10(b), the Executive shall
prescribe and determine its own rules of procedure.
1.FINANCES, BUDGETS AND CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS
1.The financial resources at the disposal of the Agency for the conduct
of its affairs shall be derived from allocations made to its
programs and functions by the parties to this Agreement, from fund-
raising activities for the benefit of its programs and functions by
Keren Hayesod and others, from income on investments, from
collection of debts, from grants by the Government of Israel, from
borrowings, and from such other funds as it may receive by grant or
otherwise from other sources.
2.All expenditures by and on behalf of the Agency shall be in pursuance
of a budget, which shall be determined in the following
manner:
1.The Executive shall each year prepare and submit to the Board of
Governors the following;
a.an estimate of receipts from all sources for the ensuing fiscal
year;
b.a "budget of needs" for the ensuing fiscal year;
85
c.a detailed budget of recommended expenditures during the
ensuing fiscal year.
2.The Board of Governors shall review, examine and, if it sees fit,
change or amend the estimate of receipts and the budget of
expenditures submitted by the Executive, and shall determine the
budget for the ensuing fiscal year, subject only to such
changes and amendments as may be recommended by the
Assembly at its next ensuing meeting.
3.The Board of Governors may, between meetings of the Assembly,
increase, reduce, change and amend any budget previously
fixed as circumstances, in its judgment, may necessitate, and
report to the Assembly the reasons for any such action.
3.The Jewish Agency for Israel, as rstituted in pursuance of this
Agreement, shall be an independent body whose membership consists
solely of the persons designated to serve as member of the Assembly
in the manner hereinabove set forth. The organizations'
signatory hereto are not, as such, members of the Jewish Agency for
Israel. This Agreement does not create or imply the existence
of any relationship of principal and agent between any of the
signatories to this Agreement. To the extent that the Agency is
designated as the Operating Agent for any of the signatories hereto
such designation shall be made by separate agreements
between the parties concerned.
A.
1.This Agreement shall go into effect and become operative on the 21st day
of June, 1971.
2.This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts together
shall constitute a single instrument binding upon all signatories.
3.This Agreement may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those present
and voting at the Assembly. Notification of proposed
amendments shall be sent to all the Members of the Assembly, not less than
60 days prior to the Assembly meeting.
DONE AND SIGNED IN JERUSALEM, THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL, ON
28 SIVAN 5731,21 JUNE 1971.
The Weizmann Hall, the Jewish Agency for Israel.
86
ADDENDUM
to the Agreement for the Reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel
1.This addendum is of equal validity and is an integral part of the Agreement for the
Reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel (hereinafter
referred to as the "Agreement") dated as of the date hereof, as though fully set
forth therein.
2.With reference to subsection II D (6) of the Agreement, it is agreed that two of
the meetings of the Board of Governors referred to in the said
subsection shall be held each year in Israel and one meeting of the Board of
Governors shall be held each year in a country other than Israel at
such time and place as will be determined by the Board of Governors.
3.It is understood that the Chairman of the W.Z.O. shall serve as the Chairman of
the Assembly and the Executive of the Agency.
4.It is agreed that only members of the Board of Governors designated by an
organization other than the World Zionist Organization may serve as
Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Signed in Jerusalem this 27th day of August 1970
The World Zionist Organization by (sgd) L.A. Pincus
The United Israel Appeal, Inc., by (sgd) Max M. Fisher
Annex A
Amendment June 1994
Distribution of members of the Assembly from Keren Hayesod countries:
Country No. of Delegates and Votes
1.Argentina
5
Austria
1
Australia
4
Belgium
4
Brazil
4
Canada
9
Central America
1
Chile
1
87
Colombia
1
Denmark
1
France
9
Great Britain
9
Holland
1
Italy
2
Mexico
4
Peru
1
South Africa
7
Spain
2
Sweden
1
Switzerland
4
Uruguay
2
Venezuela
2
Germany
2
To be designed by Keren Hayesod Board of Trustees
3
80
To be designated by the Chairman of the World Board of Trustees and

the World Chairman of Keren Hayesod, after consultation with their
constituents
24
104
The Chairman of the Board of Governors and the Chairman of the Executive may,
jointly, permit an increase in the number of the members of the
Assembly designated from any country, provided that the aggregate number of votes
allocated to any such country, as set forth above, shall not be
changed by reason of any such increase.
88
Annex B
Amendment June 1994
Distribution of members of the Board of Governors designated bv the WZO
37 to be designated at the sole discretion of the WZO.
23 to be designated by the WZO and chosen from a wide range of segments of Israeli
society, solely based on their individual merits, and consist of
members designated from the following categories, all Israelis, except up to 6 or 7
from the final category who shall be Zionist Jewish leaders from the
Diaspora:
1.Industrialists and economists

2.Mayors of development towns
3.Settlement leaders
4.Academicians
5.Olim Associations and leaders of voluntary organizations
6.Miscellaneous leaders
The Chairman of the Board of Governors and the Chairman of the Executive will
exchange views on the 23 members of the Board being proposed by the
WZO in accordance with the above.
Annex C
Amendment June 1994
Distribution of members of the Board of Governors desiynated by the UIA
22 to be designated at the sole discretion of the UIA.
14 to be designated by the UIA to include current leadership of large Jewish

Federations and outstanding Jewish leaders, as well as other outstanding Jews
prepared to be involved in the work of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors and the Chairman of the Executive will
exchange views on the 14 members of the Board being proposed by the
UIA in accordance with the above.
Annex D
Amendment June 1994
Distribution of Members of the Board of Governors designated by Keren Hayesod
1.English-speaking communities (excluding the U.S.A.)
89
Great Britain
2
Canada
3
Australia
2
South Africa
2
2.
3.Europe*
France
1
Switzerland
1
Europe (rotating)
1
4.
5.Latin America* Argentina Latin America (rotating)
Argentina
1
Latin America
2
15
6.
7.Outstanding Jewish leaders from Keren Hayesod countries as well as other

outstanding Jews from Keren Hayesod countries prepared to be involved
in the work of the Jewish Agency for Israel; to be designated by the Chairman of
the World Board of Trustees and the World Chairman of Keren
Hayesod, after consultation with their constituents and after an exchange of
views with the Chairman of the Board of Governors and the Chairman
90
of the Executive
24
* As required by changing conditions and considerations, keren Hayesod may make

appointments to the Board from other countries, and in such cases,
the membership listing shall be transferred from A, B or C to D.
Appendix No. 17
Report to the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel on the Creation of
a Joint Authority for Jewish-Zionist Education as amended by the
Jewish Agency Assembly, June 28 1990 and the Jewish Education
Authority Negotiation Committee, September 13, 1990
1.Purposes and Guidelines
The desire of all parties is to reach an understanding regarding Jewish-Zionist

education. All efforts to this end will be guided by the basic values
that were adopted by the 1988 WZO Va'ad Hapoel and the Jewish Agency
Assembly. These are the centrality of Israel, Zionist Realization and
Aliyah, and the goals of Zionism and its ideology as integral components of
educational activities. The WZO will be entrusted with the
implementation of all WZO/JAFI funded Jewish-Zionist education programs and
activities for Diaspora Jews.
2.Structure
The Authority will be composed of two bodies: The Commission and the
Executive.
The Commission will be the governing body. It will be responsible for policy
planning, priority setting and budget approval.
The Commission will have thirty-six (36) members. It will be established on the
basis of the 50-50 partnership between the WZO and UIA/KH. The
eighteen (18) UIA/KH members will be appointed by the UIA/KH. The eighteen
(18) WZO members will be elected by the WZO Executive which will
include among them the Education Department Heads as full members of the
Commission.
The Commission will have two Co-Chairmen, one from the WZO and one from
UIA/KH.
91
The Executive will be chosen from among the Israeli members of the
Commission. The Chairman of the Executive will serve as the WZO
Co-Chairman of the Commission. The Executive will be responsible for
implementation of program and budget and other areas as yet to be
determined.
The Executive will consist of twelve (12) members. Two-thirds (2/3), eight (8)
members, will be designated by the WZO, and one-third (1/3), four
(4) members, will be designated by the UIA/KH.
All members of the Executive will have their primary place of residence in
Israel.
The WZO members that will serve ex-officio are the WZO Co-
Chairman of the Commission, the WZO Treasurer, and the three (3)
Authority Department heads. The WZO will designate three (3)
additional members.
The Chairman of the Executive will have the authority to appoint a mof the
Executive as Deputy Chairman of the Executive whose functions will be
approved by the Commission at its first meeting.
The UIA/KH members will be designated by the UIA-KH from among their
Israeli representatives to the Commission.
Should any decision be made in the future to change the number of members on
the Executive, the 2/3 WZO - 1/3 UIA/KH ratio will remain the
same.
The Co-Chairmen of the Commission will engage in non-binding consultation

regarding the assignment of Department Heads. The entire Executive
will be ratified "en bloc" by the Commission.
3.The Director General
The director general of the Authority will be responsible to the Chairman of the
Executive. He will operate under the Chairman's direction and report
to him.
He will be the senior director among other directors general, and in this capacity
will be responsible for the administrative activities of the Authority.
The director general will have full administrative responsibility over all other
departmental directors-general in administrative matters.
92
The director general in coordination with the departmental directors general, will
submit the budget proposal to the Treasurer and Chairman of the
Executive.
The director general will be responsible for the functioning of the General
Administrative Services Unit.
The director-general will be appointed according to search committee

procedures. A search committee, consisting of the Chairman of the Executive,
the Chairman of the BOG, the Treasurer, the Chairman of the BOG Budget and
Finance Committee, plus two others they will select, will become
operational prior to November 1,1990.
4.Regions
Regional representation on the Commission will be included through the WZO

and UIA/KH 50-50 mechanism. Regions will not make appointments
directly to the Commission.
The Authority will encourage input and involvement from the regions including
regional advisory committees. The regions will propose their own
structures, subject to approval by the Commission.
5.Budget and Finance Procedures

1.
1.The departments will prepare their proposed budgets. The director
general of the Authority in coordination with the departmental
directors general, (as referred to in section 3 above) will submit the
budget proposal to the Treasurer and the Chairman of the
Executive. The Treasurer in consultation with the Chairman of the
Executive, will prepare the budget and present it to the Executive.
After the approval of the line by line budget by the Executive, the
budget will be submitted to the Commission by the Treasurer and
the Chairman of the Executive.
2.The Commission will approve the detailed budget, including the map
of shlichut and operations abroad.
3.The Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel ("JAFI") will
approve the budget framework of the Authority.
4.The total amount of the framework of the budget of the Authority will
be recommended to be at least the same amount as the
current budget, and will continue to remain as part of the budgets of
the World Zionist Organization and JAFI for their respective
shares in the budget to be allocated to the Authority.
2.Financial Administration
1.There will be only one Treasury for the Authority which will be the
Treasury Department of the WZO.
2.The Treasury has the responsibility to appoint financial officers in the
departments to oversee departmental fiscal matters.
3.Review of Proposed Budgets and Administration of Approved Budgets
93
1.Proposed budgets and administration of approved budgets will be
subject to the review and recommendations of the Budget and
Finance Subcommittee on Jewish Education of the Budget and Finance
Committee of JAFI, which will reports its recommendations to
the Commission. The subcommittee will have a deputy-chairman
representing the WZO. The WZO Executive will recommend the
WZO members to the subcommittee which will include members of
the Va'ad Hapoel.
6.Functional Departments
1.The Authority will consist of three programmatic Departments, and a Unit
for General Administrative Services.
2.The three programmatic Departments will be as follows:
1.The Department of TOra Education and Culture in the Diaspora
The main responsibility of this department will be the overall

development and promotion of TOra and Zion oriented educational
endeavors in the Diaspora and the formal day school system therein,
including community schools, serving learning populations from
preschool through post-high school and their families (excluding
students), with the exception of those schools choosing to work with
the department known as the General Department of Jewish Education
and Culture in the Diaspora. The department will also deal withTalmudei TOra
Torani'im.
2.The General Department of Jewish Education and Culture in the

Diaspora
The main responsibility of this department will be the overall

development and promotion of Zionist-Jewish and Hebrew education and
culture in the Diaspora, and the formal supplementary school system
therein. The department will serve the general, secular, cultural
and community day schools, religious schools - day and supplementary
- of the Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform
movements and will develop religious and other educational programs
for these constituencies. It will serve in all cases, learning
populations from preschool through post high school and their families
(excluding students), with the exception of those schools
choosing to work with the Department of TOra Education and Culture
in the Diaspora. The department will be responsible for Hebrew
ulpanim.
3.The Department of Youth and Hechalutz and Informal Education
The main responsibility of this department will be to deal with informal

Zionist Jewish education of youth in Zionist youth movements,
community and youth organizations of all ideological and religious streams.
The department will also deal with all Israel programs in informal
education frameworks. It will serve summer camps and community centers,
as well as unaffiliated youth through informal Zionist educational
94
activities in Zionist and community Federations, Boards of Jewish Education
and Academic Institutions.
3.Services rendered to educational institutions by the Departments will

include supplementary programs in Israel, in-service training,
curriculum and educational material development and the recruitment,
assignment and supervisions of shlichim and educators (principals,
specialists, teachers, youth and community center workers, etc.).
4.The General Administrative Services Unit will coordinate the
administrative functions of the Authority and provide service to all its
departments. The Unit will be responsible among other things for the
following:
1.Research, development and evaluation.
2.Logistics. (It is recommended that the logistics be located in the
Department of Youth and Hechalutz and Informal Education, and
will constitute the base for logistic services for the other departments.)
3.A joint technical unit for producing and issuing educational materials
(print and non-print) and for promotion and sales.
4.A computerized information unit listing holdings of the pedagogic
centers of the departments and other Jewish educational centers in
Israel and the Diaspora.
5.All JAFI Diaspora related educational activities and budget lines will be a
part of the Authority. Their exact placement in the structure will be determined by the
Commission.
6.Administration
Each of the departments will have a director general and a financial officer
provided by the Treasury. The directors general will be responsible to their respective
department heads.
All department directors general will be recommended to the Executive by a

search committee to be appointed by the two cochairmen of the
Commission. The search committee will be constituted within the guidelines of
the 50-50 WZO-UIA/KH partnership that forms the Commission. The candidate
recommended by the search committee must be acceptable to the head of the
department.
The current procedures relating to personnel will be maintained.
The current joint WZO-JAFI Shlichut Administration will serve the Authority
according to existing procedures
8.Establishment and Timetable
Submission of document to the WZO, UIA and KH.Sept. 30, 1990
1.Approval of the document by WZO, UIA and KH.

Oct. 20
Submission to the BOG.
Sept. 30
95
Approval by the BOG.
Oct. 29
Ratification of the Commission.
Oct. 29
Initial meeting of the Commission.
Prior to Nov. 1
Appointment of the Executive.
Prior to Nov. 1
Initial meeting of the Executive.
Nov.
Hiring of the Director General.
Jan. 10, 1991
Preparation of an operational plan and budget
Feb. 10, 1991
Approval of operational plan and budget
Feb. 21, 1991
Commencement of Activity.
Apr. 1, 1991
Submitted September, 1990 - Tishrei, 5751 by the Jewish Education Authority
Negotiating Committee of the Board of Governors, the Jewish Agency for
Israel
Simcha Dinitz, Co-Chairman
Mendel Kaplan Co-Chairman
Mandell Berman Norman Lipoff
Shoshana Cardin Yehiel Leket
Trevor Chinn Yitzhak Mayer
Irwin Field Meir Sheetrit
Max Fisher Hank Skirball
Shlomo Gravitz Kalman Sultanik
Julia Koschitzky Joseph Wernik
THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL
1990 ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION
A Joint Jewish-Zionist Education Authority
WHEREAS, the World Zionist Organization Va'ad Hapoel of 1988 and 1989 and the
Jewish Agency Assembly of 1988 and 1989 have joined in calling by
resolution for the establishment of a Joint Jewish-Zionist Education Authority, and
96
WHEREAS, the 1990 Jewish Agency Assembly has received, discussed and debated
the report of the Jewish Education Commission, a copy of which is
attached hereto,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Jewish Agency Assembly authorizes the

establishment of a Joint Jewish-Zionist Education Authority on November
1,1990, based upon the report of the Jewish Education Commission which is hereby
approved as amended by this body.
AND WHEREAS the WZO Va'ad Hapoel did not approve the Report of the Jewish
Education Commission as amended, therefore
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an appropriate group based on parity between

WZO and UIA/KH will be appointed to negotiate in good faith and to resolve
differences in the views of the constituent bodies (UIA/KH and WZO). The group
will commence working immediately after the conclusion of the present
Assembly and will submit its findings regarding the establishment of a Joint Jewish
Zionist Education Authority for the approval of the constituent bodies
and thereafter of the Board of Governors of JAFI at the meeting in October 1990.
Once approved, the Joint Education Authority will be established beginning

November 1,1990.
If the constituent bodies do not approve an agreement by the October 1990 meeting of
the Board of Governors of JAFI, or if the agreement is not then
approved by the Board of Governors of JAFI, each of the constituent bodies of JAFI
may consider such action as they deem appropriate with respect to
Jewish Education.
Approved
June 28,1990
Tammuz 5, 5750
Jerusalem
97
Appendix No. 18
Covenant between the State of Israel and the Keren Kayemeth Lelsrael*
Signed on 28th November, 1961
Treaty signing ceremony between the JNF and the Israeli government, 1961 signed by
(right to left): Agriculture Minister Moshe Dayan; Finance Minister Levi Eshkol; JNF
chairman, Jacob Tsur. Photo: JNF’s photo archives
THIS IS THE COVENANT MADE THIS DAY IN JERUSALEM BETWEEN THE
STATE OF ISRAEL, REPRESENTED FOR THIS PURPOSE BY THE MINISTER
OF FINANCE,
AND KEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAEL - WITH THE SANCTION OF THE
WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION - REPRESENTED FOR THIS PURPOSE BY
THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF KEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAEL.
1.Since its inception more than half a century ago, Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel has
been engaged in acquiring land in Palestine and transferring it to
the ownership of the people, reclaiming and afforesting land, leasing out land for
settlement and housing, and administering its lands. The
fundamental principle of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael is that its lands shall not be
sold, but shall remain the property of the people and shall be given
on lease only.
2.After the establishment of the State, the volume of the acquisition of land by
Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael from non-Jewish owners has decreased,
while the extent of the redemption of land from desolation has steadily increased.
The State had become the owner of most of the land in Israel,
and the Government administers and develops these domains.
98
3.The Government of Israel and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael have resolved to end
the duplication resulting from the administration of their lands by
different agencies, to concentrate the administration, conservation and care of
these lands in the hands of the State, and to strengthen the hands
of Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel in fulfilling its mission of redeeming land from
desolation.
The parties to this Covenant have therefore agreed as follows:
1.Upon the coming into force of the Basic Law: Israel Lands (hereinafter referred
to as "the Law"), the administration of the lands which are State
land or land of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael, whether acquired in the past or to be
acquired in the future, shall be concentrated in the hands of the
State.
2.The Government shall establish an "Israel Lands Administration" (hereinafter
referred to as "the Administration") and shall, after consultation with
Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael, appoint a Director to head the Administration. The
Director shall be subordinate to the Minister charged by the
Government with the implementation of this Covenant (hereinafter referred to as
"the Minister").
3.Notwithstanding the provision of clause 1, there shall be no change in the
ownership of the lands as registered in the Land Registry, save to the
extent that the parties to this Covenant agree, in respect of particular lands, to
register them in the name of the State or in the name of Keren
Kayemeth Le'lsrael, either by way of exchange or in any other manner.
4.Israel lands shall be administered in accordance with the law, that is to say, on
the principle that land is not sold, but only given on lease, and in
accordance with the land policy laid down by the Board established under clause
9. The Board shall lay down a land policy with a view to increasing
the absorptive capacity of the land and preventing the concentration of lands in
the hands of individuals. The lands of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael
shall, moreover, be administered subject to the Memorandum and Articles of
Association of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael.
5.Where the Administration, in respect of a particular transaction, deems it
necessary to deviate, in one or the other detail, from the principles of the
land policy referred to in clause 4, such transaction shall only be made with the
approval of the Board established under clause 9 and, where land
registered in the name of Keren Kayemeth is concerned, with the consent of
Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael or, where other Israel land is concerned, with
the consent of the Minister.
6.Any transaction in respect of Israel land shall be entered into by the
Administration on behalf of and as the agent of the registered owner of such
land, and any proceeds of Israel land shall be the property of the registered
owner; and the State accepts, in consideration of this Covenant, to
bear the expenses of the Administration.
7.The Administration shall deliver to the registered owners of Israel land, once
every three months (and for the first time at the expiration of six
months from the day of the coming into force of the Law), a report of the income
and expenditure of the administration of their land. The
99
expenditure shall include a fixed amount determined by the Administration,
either as a certain. percentage of the income or as a quota on a
certain unit of measurement of the land. Upon the delivery of such a report, any
balance appearing therein to the credit of Keren kayemeth
Le'lsrael shall be regarded as a debt due to it and payable by the State, and any
balance appearing therein to the debit of Keren Kayemeth
Le'lsrael shall be regarded as a debt due from it and payable to the State.
8.The Administration shall deliver to the Government and to Keren Kayemeth
Le'lsrael, once a year, a report of all its activities.
9.The Government shall establish a Board, under the chairmanship of the Minister,
which shall lay down the land policy, approve the budget proposal
of the Administration and supervise the activities of the Administration and the
manner in which this Covenant is carried into effect. The number of
the members of the Board shall be thirteen; hof them, less one, shall be
appointed upon the proposal of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael. The members
of the Board may be replaced in the same way as they were appointed. Notice of
the appointment of the Board and of the names of its members,
as appointed from time to time, shall be published in Reshumot.
10.The reclamation and afforestation of Israel lands shall be concentrated in the
hands of Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael, which shall establish a "Land
Development Administration" (hereinafter referred to as "the Development
Administration") for that purpose. Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael shall, after
consultation with the Minister, appoint a Director to head the Development
Administration, who shall be subordinate to Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel.
11.The Development Administration shall draw up once a year (and for the first
time at the expiration of three months from the day of the coming
into force of the Law) a scheme for the development and afforestation of Israel
lands, and shall submit that scheme to the Government and to
Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel. The scheme shall be drawn up in complete
coordination with the Minister of Agriculture.
12.The Afforestation Section of the Ministry of Agriculture shall henceforth engage
in afforestation research only. However, the Minister of Agriculture
shall continue to be charged with the implementation of the Forestry Ordinance,
1926, through the Development Administration.
13.The Develpment Administration shall engage in operations of reclamation,
development and afforestation of Israel lands as the agent of the
registered owners; and Keren Kayemeth accepts in consideration of this
Covenant, to bear the administrative expenses of the Development
Administration.
14.The expenditure involved in operations of reclamation, development and
afforestation of Israel lands shall fall on the registered owners of the
lands on which the operation is carried out; and the Develpment Administration
shall deliver once every six months (and for the first time at the
expiration of nine months from the day of the coming into force of the Law) a
report to the registered owners of expenditure as aforesaid incurred
in respect of their lands. Upon the delivery of a report as aforesaid, any balance
appearing therein to the debit of the State or the Development
Authority shall be regarded as a debt due from them and payable to Keren
Kayemeth Le'Israel. Where the Government requests the Development
100
Administration to carry out operations of reclamation, development or
afforestation of land registered in the name of Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel,
and Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael notifies the Government, in writing, before
carrying out the operation, that it is unable to carry it out at its expense,
the State
15.shall bear the expenditure involved in the operation, and the amount thereof
shall be paid to Keren Kayemeth either by a grant, loan or exchange
of property or in any other manner, as may be agreed upon between the
Government and Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael.
16.The Board for Land Reclamation and Development attached to Keren Kayemeth
Le'Israel shall lay down the development policy in accordance with
the agricultural development scheme of the Minister of Agriculture, shall
approve the budget proposal of the development Administration, and shall
supervise the activities of the Development Administration and the manner in
which it carries this Covenant into effect. The number of the
members of the Board shall be thirteen; half of them, less one, shall be appointed
by the Government. The members of the Board may be
replaced in the same way as they were appointed. The Board shall be headed by
the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Keren Kayemeth
Le'Iisrael or a person appointed in that behalf by Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael.
17.Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel shall continue to operate, as an independent agency
of the World Zionist Organization, among the Jewish public in Israel
and the Diaspora, raising funds for the redemption of land from desolation and
conducting informational and Zionist-Israel educational activities;
and the Government shall extend assistance to Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel in
informational and propaganda activities in Israel and abroad.
18.This Covenant shall come into force on the day of the coming into force of the
Law and shall remain in force for five years. Unless one of the
parties to this Covenant, at least six months before the expiration of the five
years, announces its intention not to renew it, its validity shall be
automatically extended for another five years; and so on indefinitely from five-
year-period to five-year-period.
19.If the Law is repealed or amended, Keren Kayemeth Le'lsrael may withdraw
from this Covenant by giving notice of withdrawal, in writing, to the
Government; however, Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel may not withdraw from this
Covenant if the Government notified it in advance, in writing, of the
proposed amendment or repeal, and Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel did not express
opposition.
20.If this Covenant becomes void, whether by virtue of clause 17 or by virtue of
clause 18, the position which existed immediately before the coming
into force of the Law shall be restored; the Government undertakes to propose
the necessary legislation to the Knesset.
21.If one of the parties to this Covenant considers that a change should be made
therein, it shall give written notice to the other party, which shall
reply to the proposal, favourably or unfavourably, within six months from the
day on which notice is given. If the reply is favourable, the Covenant
shall be deemed amended, in accordance with the proposal received from the day
on which the reply is given.
22.From the day of the signing of this Covenant, the parties thereto shall do
everything necessary and expedient for the implementation thereof and
101
shall be bound by it in all respects.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF THERE HAVE HEREUNTO SET THEIR

SIGNATURES, in behalf of the State of Israel, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Levi
Eshkol, and on
behalf of Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel, the Chairman of the Board of Directors thereof,
Mr. Jacob Tsur, in Jerusalem, this 20th day of Kislev, 5722 (28th
November, 1961).
LEVI ESHKOL
Minister of Finance
JACOB TSUR
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel
The text of this translation is not binding, the only authentic text being the Hebrew
original.
(Based on (no longer to be found):

http://www.thelikud.org/Archives/Structure%20of%20the%20World%20Zionist%20
Organization.htm)
102
(Source: XXXXX)
Ethnic Cleansing
103
Ethnic cleansing is a practice contrary to international law that involves the attempt of
rendering geographical areas ethnically homogeneous by using criminal force (such
as massacres) or intimidation (such as threats of rape or massacre) to remove persons
of given groups from the area and their replacement through the implantation of
settlers and settlements in that territory.34
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine was by political-Zionist militias began already prior
to the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and by the forces
of the Israeli army in the course of the and in the wake of the 1948-49 war (the
Palestinian Nakba) and thereafter with the complicity of the parastatal institutions
listed above, regulated in law, that is, by Acts of Parliament (the Knesset of the State
of Israel) since 1952, and enforced by Court rulings carried out by the Police. Thus,
for instance, the continuing concentration of the Palestinian-Arab bedouin population
that survived the Palestinian Nakba in southern Palestine (the Naqab, referred to in
political-Zionist parlance as the “Negev”) embarked upon in the enclosure (Siyāj)
area of 1951–1953 has now culminated with Jewish National Fund complicity in the
programme of “Blueprint Negev”, referred to by the JNF as “Israel’s last frontier”.35
Apartheid
Apartheid designates a political system where racism is regulated in law through Acts
of Parliament and carried out through institutions of the state implementing racial
discrimination.
"Racism", conceptualized as synonymous with "popular xenophobia", is an ugly

feature prevalent in varying degrees in all UN member states, including the current
western liberal democracies. But in liberal democratic states, victims of racism have
legal recourse to the protection of the law under a constitution that embodies the
values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and establishes citizenship as
the common status representing equal rights and egalitarian access to state resources
By contrast, in an apartheid regime the state enforces racial discrimination, through
the legal system and its law enforcement instruments.
To the best of my knowledge, after the dismantlement of the South African apartheid
regime and its replacement in 1996 with a liberal democratic regime, the State of
Israel remains the only apartheid UN member state.
As far as this Author is aware, after the dismantlement of the apartheid regime in the
Republic of South Africa, and its replacement in 1996 with a liberal democratic
regime under a democratic constitution – the State of Israel remains the only apartheid
state that is a member in the United Nations Organization.

34 Interim Report of the Commission of Experts Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780
(1992), 55, para. 55.

35 http://www.jnf.org/about-‐jnf/in-‐your-‐area/western-‐zone/orange-‐county
104

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Uri Davis

Erstwhile Associate Professor, AL-­QUDS University, Jerusalem, Abu Dis, Palestinian

Family, Democratic Citizenship-vs-Tribe and the State: A Partially Documented

The Paper's point of departure is correlatively Articles 13 and 15 of the December

In 2008 anthropological “Ego” (namely, the Author) registered his marriage in

Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1949.

On 2 December 2008, equipped with my apartheid Israel (blue) ID card (were I am

Which begs the question of "Who is a Jew?

In a liberal-democratic state, that is: a state whose constitution is informed by the

Law of Return (Amendment No 2) 1970

1. In the Law of Return, 5710-1950**, the following sections shall be inserted

Rights of members of family

(Photograph Uri Davis, 6.4.2017)

• What does the above suggest with reference to inter-relationship of “family,

What does the above imply for my off-spring?

In the view of this Author, insofar as inter-relationship of “family, democratic

Furthermore, to my mind, the implementation of all UN resolutions relevant to the

What future for Palestine?

Citizenship: Palestinian Language Group: Arab

However, without international anti-apartheid solidarity support, such as a boycott of

First, the definition in Articles 5 and 6 of the Palestinian National Covenant:

For the purpose of this law, a Palestinian is a person who:

For this to happen, however, the Constitution of the Socialist/Democratic Federal

Dr Uri Davis is member of the Revolutionary Council of the Palestinian National

Definitions of key terms:

Political-Zionism is a settler-colonial movement founded at the First Zionist Congress

interpretation of “Who is a Jew”.

The World Zionist Organization

We hope that study of this publication will contribute to an understanding of the

Secretary of the Zionist General Council

The following institutions were established by decisions of Zionist Congresses: in

Turning Points in the Activities of the World Zionist Organization

In 1915, a Zionist Coordination and Relations Office was established in Copenhagen,

The Twenty-Seventh Zionist Congress, which convened in Jerusalem in 1968,

In 1992, the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress decided on the forming of a committee

Stages in the History of the Congresses (Appendix 2)

At the Twenty-Seventh Zionist Congress (1968) the reformulation of the "Jerusalem

Location of the Zionist Congresses:

The Institutions of the Zionist Movement

Its institutions are:

Language of the Congress

Powers of the Congress

Duration of the Congress

In pursuance of Article 17, Section 1 of the WZO Constitution, the number of

The Shekel and Zionist Membership

The Central Elections Board

The Area Election Committee

The Zionist World Unions

"Zionist World Union" means a Zionist organization which represents a special

1.The Labor Zionist Movement

The International Jewish Organizations

Since the Twenty-Eighth Zionist Congress (1972), international Jewish organizations

* WIZO is an international, non-party Zionist body which receives, by virtue of an

Composition of the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress (July 1992).

Distribution of the delegates at the Thirty-Second Zionist Congress:

Likud 134 delegates

World Confederation of United Zionists 79 delegates

Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi 71 delegates

Tnuat Hamercaz-Hanoar Hazioni-Shinuy-Ratz 23 delegates

Representatives of the international Jewish organizations and bodies with voting

World Sephardi Federation 24 delegates

B'nai B'rith International 20 delegates

Maccabi World Union 17 delegates

Erstwhile Associate Professor, AL-QUDS University, Jerusalem, Abu Dis, Palestinian