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| By Debbie Berman June 20, 2002 |
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An emotional 34th World Zionist Congress took place this week in Jerusalem, a city reeling from two deadly suicide bombings. The congress, planned to discuss the future of Israel as a democratic state and the formulation of a contemporary Zionist platform, instead was marked by the deep emotions participants showed for Israeli citizens suffering from the renewed wave of terror in the capital.
Nili Naor, chairperson of the Zionist Congress Presidium, said congress participants "identify fully with the tragedy that has befallen the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem." Only hours after Tuesday's suicide bus bombing, participants from all over the world rushed to donate blood, attend funerals of those killed, pay condolence calls on bereaved families, and visit the wounded in hospitals. Zionist Executive Chairman Sallai Meridor was forced to change his opening remarks on the grisly statistics of Israeli terror victims to include the latest Jerusalem victims, reporting that more than 70 percent of the victims were civilians. "The whole country has become a war front," he said.
Jewish leaders at the congress were deeply saddened and shocked by the Jerusalem attacks. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, visited survivors of the bus attack and described the scene as "horrific." Regarding the long-awaited policy speech by U.S. President George W. Bush, in which he is expected to discuss the framework for a Palestinian state, Hoelnlein said, "The president's speech has to reflect the reality of the situation. The PA is clearly doing nothing [to halt terrorism] and the president cannot appear to be rewarding actions of such a devastating nature."
In response to the fact that the suicide bomber was a student at An-Najah University in Nablus, Michael Miller, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, expressed additional outrage: "How utterly repugnant it is that a Palestinian university student murdered innocent Israeli high school students."
National Security Council Director Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan stressed the importance of Israel's maintaining a strong relationship with Diaspora Jewry, to be cultivated through dialogue on issues including Jewish identity, education, Aliya, and anti-Semitism. In an address to congress delegates, Dayan said, "This is a positive component of national security for the State of Israel, and ultimately for the entire Jewish People." Dayan said the way to fight against terrorism is to clarify to those responsible that it is illegitimate. "The rules of the game in the international war against terrorism have to be changed, and it must be made clear that the ends do not justify the means, that terrorism is not legitimate, and that whoever engages in terrorism will be harmed," he added.
Congress focuses on Jewish youth and future of Zionism
Despite the difficulties of ongoing terrorism, the response of world Jewry to what is happening in Israel and the recent wave of anti-Semitism around the globe has been overwhelmingly supportive, according to Meridor. Since the start of the Intifada, 70,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel. Some congress participants took part in a welcoming ceremony for new immigrants from Argentina, Russia and France, this week at Ben Gurion International Airport.
President Moshe Katsav spoke about Aliyah in his opening address to the congress. "Living in the Diaspora is a legitimate right, but historic, national and conscientious obligations mean that every Jew around the world must place the subject of Aliyah on his or her personal agenda," he said.
Approximately 750 delegates attended this year's Zionist Congress, with nearly 25 percent of them under the age of thirty. A strong emphasis was placed by congress organizers on the development of young Zionist leaders, aimed at developing the future of the Zionist movement.
The congress also dealt with the problems of contemporary Israeli society, which came to a head when Supreme Court President Aharon Barak was heckled both by delegates of the National Religious Party and by secular right-wing delegates during his address. Barak's speech focused on the issue of equality for all citizens, and the need for equal land allocations to Jews and Arabs. "Do we need to allocate the Jewish people's lands, in the name of equality, to those who send suicide bombers to kill our children?" countered NRP delegate Haim Falk.
Delegates stressed the importance of maintaining the connection between Diaspora Jewry and Israel, viewing the Zionist mission of today in many different ways. "Zionism has different meanings at different times," participant Michael Kransdorff told Ha'aretz. "Right now, its most important meaning is explaining Israel's case. The Diaspora has an especially important role to play in this regard. I have remained active in this area after Durban, and am a member of the response team of Jewish students that is engaged in explaining Israel's case."
Sylvia Antonochi, an Italian delegate, said she felt a mandate "to learn as much as possible about the history and about the present, and then disseminate it, as much as possible, to the Jewish community itself, and outside the community. I feel that lack of knowledge is the most serious problem we face today."
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