US World Zionist Congress: Orthodox parties secure 40%
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Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox slates captured over 40% in the 2025 US World Zionist Congress vote, with right-wing parties claiming a second consecutive majority amid fraud probes and youth-driven campaigns.
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Israeli Occupation President Isaac Herzog delivers the keynote address on August 29, 2022, to mark the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress at the Stadtcasino in Basel (Fabrice Cofrini /AFP)
Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox candidates have achieved a landmark result in the World Zionist Congress's 2025 elections, capturing more than 40% of the vote and helping secure a right-wing majority for the second consecutive term.
According to preliminary results, seven Orthodox-affiliated slates collectively received over 100,000 of the record 230,257 votes cast online between March 10 and May 4 across the United States.
The US World Zionist Congress vote results show that right-wing parties are projected to hold 81 mandates compared to 71 for left-wing slates. This shift in voting reflects both a mobilized Orthodox base and the emergence of youth-driven movements campaigning on pro-"Israel" and religious identity platforms.
Among the Orthodox parties, Eretz Hakodesh, affiliated with "Israel's" Haredi United Torah Judaism party, received 29,159 votes, or 12.7% of the total, marking a strong showing for ultra-Orthodox voters in the diaspora. The Orthodox "Israel" Coalition secured 11.7% with 26,975 votes, while smaller Orthodox groups added another 13,500 votes to the total.
A significant newcomer was Am Yisrael Chai, a slate of Jewish college students and youth focused on Jewish student pro-"Israel" slates and Torah-centered advocacy. The group received 31,765 votes, amounting to 13.8% of the overall tally.
Right-wing bloc secures majority for second time
This is the second time in the history of the Zionist Congress that the right-wing bloc has won a majority, a development seen as transformative for the allocation of over $1 billion in annual budgets administered by the Congress.
The Eretz Hakodesh election campaign and the youth-driven efforts of Am Yisrael Chai were credited with energizing Orthodox and right-leaning segments of the electorate.
Meanwhile, the Vote Reform slate, representing the Reform Movement, garnered the most votes overall, 47,887, or 20.8%. The Conservative/Masorti-affiliated Mercaz slate placed fourth with 27,893 votes (12.1%).
Fraud allegations cloud election outcome
Despite the record turnout, an 86% increase from the previous election, questions have arisen over voting integrity. Approximately 18,948 ballots were invalidated amid allegations of fraud, including the use of duplicate email addresses and prepaid credit cards.
Am Yisrael Chai fraud allegations and Eretz Hakodesh’s vote patterns are reportedly under investigation by the World Zionist Organization’s Area Election Committee (AEC), which has vowed to penalize any slates found to have violated election rules.
The liberal Hatikvah slate, leading among the remaining 17 slates, captured about 5% of the vote.
The World Zionist Congress, charged with shaping the financial and ideological direction of Israeli causes globally, is scheduled to convene in occupied al-Quds from October 28–30, 2025.
