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AZM Fact Sheet

The American Zionist Movement

The American Zionist Movement (AZM) is comprised of 42 national Jewish Zionist organizations and works across a broad ideological, political and religious spectrum linking the American Jewish community together in support of Israel, Zionism and the Jewish people.

Known as AZM since 1993, it is the Zionist federation in the United States affiliated with the World Zionist Organization (WZO). The AZM and its constituent organizations represent American Zionists within the National Institutions of Israel, including the WZO, The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund. AZM is the successor to the American Zionist Federation (founded in 1970) and to the American Zionist Council which started in the 1940s.

AZM works to promote and defend Zionism in the United States; to deepen and expand the active relationship of the American Jewish Community to Zionism in a contemporary context; to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among Zionist organizations through and with the AZM; and to be central hub for Zionist resources in America.
At the AZM Biennial Assembly in March 2017, Richard D. Heideman of Washington DC was elected President of AZM and Herbert Block was appointed as Executive Director. A theme of “Zionism Forward” as the goal and vision of AZM was launched in an effort to reenergize Zionism in America.

Zionism Forward is the AZM’s campaign to:

    • Strengthen support for Israel, the Jewish people and Zionism.
    • Celebrate the ideology and cause of Zionism.
    • Help strengthen Israel’s position in the global family of nations.
    • Improve the dialogue on Zionism in America and participate in a new effort to guide the American Jewish people to speak in a unified and informed voice in support of Zionism’s core principles.
    • Provide the forum that fosters our diverse constituent Zionist organizations’ respectful coalescence around our commonality.

In 2018 the AZM National Board adopted the following Statement of Principles of Zionism

The American Zionist Movement (AZM), through action and deed, supports these principles:

    • The sovereign state of Israel’s unconditional right to exist as the Jewish democratic homeland;
    • The right of the people of Israel to live in peace and security;
    • Pride in the common history, culture, destiny and religious heritage of the Jewish people;
    • Pride in Israel’s rich contributions to the world and its aspirational role to be an exemplary society for all of humanity; and
    • Israel’s centrality to Jewish identity and life.

The AZM and its constituent organizations fully support and endorse The Jerusalem Program of the WZO, the global statement of the beliefs of the Zionist movement.Twice in each decade, AZM organizes and sponsors the United States election of delegates to the World Zionist Congress, a process in which tens of thousands of American Jews participate and vote.AZM sponsors the American Zionist Youth Council, which aims to bring young people from national youth movements and organizations across religious, cultural, denominational, political, and social circles.

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