Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) applauds and praises the Zionist Supreme Court’s decision today implementing the results of the democratic U.S. Zionist election, which ended 14 months ago, in March 2020. The Zionist Supreme Court’s decision finally gives the ZOA Coalition the additional seats on the American Zionist Movement (AZM) Board that the ZOA Coalition is entitled to as a result of winning thousands of more votes in the 2020 U.S. Zionist election. These AZM Board seats will help the ZOA Coalition increase real Zionist education; support all of Israel’s lawful rights; and achieve more good for the Jewish people, at this especially difficult time.
ZOA again thanks everyone and deeply appreciates all those who showed confidence in ZOA and voted for the ZOA Coalition last year. Thankfully, your votes will now really count.
We are pleased that the Zionist Supreme Court decision also properly gave AZM Board seats to our friends and supporters at the Coordinating Council for the Jewish Homeland (CCJH), which won votes as the new Eretz HaKodesh slate in the 2020 election; and that the ZSC decision appropriately removed AZM Board seats from an organization that lost mandates in the 2020 Zionist election.
The Zionist Supreme Court’s appropriate decision restores democracy and the public’s faith in the U.S. Zionist elections.
Early this year, AZM officials rightfully tried to seat ZOA’s increased representatives and CCJH’s and Dorshei Torah’s new representatives on the AZM Board, in accordance with the 2020 election results.
Unfortunately, four organizations—Ameinu; the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA); Mercaz; and Partners for Progressive Israel (PPI) —engaged in litigation and other efforts to block the peaceful transition of the AZM Board in accordance with the 2020 U.S. Zionist election results. ZOA and CCJH were forced to appeal to the Zionist Supreme Court to obtain the increased number of AZM Board seats we won in the democratic 2020 U.S. Zionist election.
ZOA President Morton Klein stated: “ZOA gives special thanks to ZOA Chair Mark Levenson, Esq. and ZOA Director of Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. for honorably and effectively and skillfully representing the ZOA Coalition at the Zionist Supreme Court and throughout this unfortunate battle, which should never have been necessary.
“ZOA also expresses deep appreciation to our friends at CCJH, especially Rabbi Pesach Lerner and attorney Marc Jacob, Esq.; and AZM officials, including AZM President Richard Heideman, Esq., AZM Chair Dr. Francine Stein, AZM Executive Director Herb Block, Esq., and AZM Treasurer and former national ZOA president Jim Schiller, for supporting and fighting to implement the results of the 2020 Zionist elections. ZOA also warmly thanks Herut North America Executive Director Karma Feinstein-Cohen for her valuable advice and assistance throughout this case; and warmly thanks our friends Rabbi Moshe Weisblum and Karma Feinstein-Cohen for their very helpful simultaneous translation assistance.
“Going forward, we hope to work together with all concerned, harmoniously and diligently, for the benefit of Israel and the Jewish people.”