Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland

The Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland,[1] also known as the British Zionist Federation or simply the Zionist Federation (ZF), is an umbrella organisation for the Zionist movement in the United Kingdom, representing more than 30 organisations and over 50,000 affiliated members.[2] It was established in 1899 to campaign for a permanent homeland for the Jewish people.

Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
AbbreviationZF
Formation1899 (1899)
HeadquartersLondon, England
Location
  • United Kingdom
Chair
Rabbi Lea Mühlstein
Websitezionist.org.uk

History
The first conference of the Zionist Federation of England 1899

The organisation was established in 1899 to campaign for a permanent homeland for the Jewish people.

In 1917, the British Foreign Secretary Sir Arthur Balfour communicated the Balfour Declaration to the leader of United Kingdom's Jewish community Lord Rothschild for transmission to the Zionist Federation.[3][4]

In 1920, the Zionist Federation founded Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO) and Keren Hayesod. The ZF also founded a number of Zionist youth movements.

Aims and objectives

It describes itself as "the UK's leading Israel advocacy and grassroots organisation" which "celebrates Israel and challenges our enemies."[5]

Among its aims and objectives are to:[6]

  • Support, co-ordinate and facilitate the work of all its affiliates nationwide, and to continue its commitment to the Zionist youth movements.
  • Encourage the participation of Jews in Zionist activities, including education, culture, Hebrew language and Israel information, underpinned by the belief that the main goal of Zionism is Aliyah.

Activities

Activities include: training, campaigning, media engagement, lobbying, combatting the BDS movement, working with students and cultural events.[7]

Structure and personnel

The Zionist Federation is an umbrella organisation encompassing most of the Zionist organizations and individuals in the country and, as such, represents the Zionist movement in the United Kingdom.

As of early 2023, the chair is Rabbi Lea Mühlstein.

See also

References
  1. "Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland - University of Leeds". Library. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  2. "Zionist Federation". The Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. Zieve, Tamara (25 October 2017). "World Zionist Organization finally responds to Lord Balfour in letter". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  4. "100 years on, what the Balfour Declaration means for the Middle East today". The Independent. 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  5. "About ZFUK". ZF. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  6. "ZF | Zionist Federation of the United Kingdom and Ireland". ZFUK.
  7. "What we do". ZF. Retrieved 6 August 2019.


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