Orthodox lists have secured their strongest showing on record in the United States election for the 39th World Zionist Congress, capturing almost 46% of the 230,257 valid ballots cast and overtaking the long-dominant liberal streams.

Preliminary figures released by the American Zionist Movement show that four explicitly Orthodox tickets – Am Yisrael Chai, Eretz HaKodesh, the Orthodox Israel Coalition–Mizrachi, and Aish Ha’Am – together amassed 105,548 votes, or 45.9% of the US total.

Three smaller Torah-oriented lists added a further 3,538 votes, pushing the overall Orthodox share just above 47%. Five years ago, the combined Orthodox vote stood at 34%.

Am Yisrael Chai (the Nation of Israel lives), running for the first time and backed informally by the Olami campus-outreach network, placed second overall with 31,765 votes (13.8%). Eretz HaKodesh (Holy Land), representing the ultra-Orthodox, finished third with 29,159 votes (12.7%), followed by the Modern-Orthodox Orthodox Israel Coalition–Mizrachi with 26,975 (11.7%). Aish Ha’Am (Fire of the Nation), an outreach-focused slate, recorded 6,649 votes (2.9%).

Liberal movements still led the individual table but lost ground proportionally. The Reform slate, Vote Reform, remained the single largest list at 47,887 votes; however, its share slid to 20.8%, down from 25.5% in 2020. Mercaz (Center) USA, representing the Conservative/Masorti movement, gained supporters in absolute terms, rising to 27,893 votes, yet its 12.1% share was marginally below its 2020 level. The progressive Hatikvah (The Hope) slate increased to 11,537 votes, but at 5% of the total remains a minority voice.

American Zionist Movement banner advertising the upcoming World Zionist Congress 2025 elections. (credit: SCREENSHOT/FACEBOOK/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)
American Zionist Movement banner advertising the upcoming World Zionist Congress 2025 elections. (credit: SCREENSHOT/FACEBOOK/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)
The Israel American Council (IAC) ran for the first time in the elections and secured 5,344 preliminary votes, or 2.3%.

A stark shift compared to the 2020 WZC elections

In 2020, liberal and centrist slates together controlled just over 44% of the US vote; this year, their combined share fell to 38%, underscoring a steady Orthodox ascent and the erosion of the old synagogue-based coalition that once dominated Congress politics.

The World Zionist Congress, founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, meets every five years to set policy for the Zionist movement and to appoint the lay leadership of the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund, and Keren Hayesod.

Those bodies collectively distribute more than $1 billion annually to Jewish education, aliyah programs, settlement infrastructure, and Diaspora initiatives. Of the Congress’s 525 delegates, 152 (29%) are elected in the United States; delegate mandates are allocated to slates in strict proportion to their vote.

If the preliminary numbers stand, Orthodox lists are expected to hold at least 70 of the 152 US seats and could claim more than 80 once final rounding is applied. That would give the Orthodox camp its first bargaining majority within the American caucus and, in alliance with right-religious Israeli parties, significant leverage over education and settlement budgets.

World Zionist Organization chairman Yaakov Hagoel welcomed the turnout – an 86% increase from 2020 – and called the results “a historic moment in which American Jewry has voiced a strong stand for proud Zionism and tradition.” He urged all factions “to bridge divides within our people and act together for Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and the heritage of Israel.”

The American Zionist Movement confirmed that 18,948 ballots – about 8% of those cast – were invalidated for technical irregularities. Investigations are continuing and could affect a handful of mandates, though they are unlikely to alter the overall Orthodox plurality. Final certification is expected later this summer after the AZM tribunal and the Zionist Supreme Court rule on outstanding appeals.

 “American Jews have spoken through their record breaking turnout in the 2025 World Zionist Elections; they have powerfully demonstrated that Zionism in the United States is not only alive and well but stronger than ever,” AZM executive director Herbert Block said.

“Thanks to this historic participation in the election, US Jewry is poised to make an indelible mark when the World Zionist Congress gathers in October.”

Rabbi Steven Burg, Chairman of Aish Ha’am, released a statement saying the “historically high voter turnout is a powerful reminder that the bond American Jews feel toward Israel across our many diverse communities remains vibrant and enduring.”

He said his slate had been entrusted with a “sacred responsibility: to serve as the voice of the Jewish people on the world stage for the next five years.” Burg also reaffirmed his party’s commitment to building bridges throughout the Jewish world, including uniting Jews “from a rich mosaic of backgrounds, traditions, and experiences.”

“I pledge to work hand in hand with all parties represented in the Congress, with humility, wisdom, and above all with love for every Jew,” he added. “Unity is not just a goal. It is a necessity for our survival and success as a people.”

Delegates will meet in Jerusalem from October 28-30. With Orthodox representatives now approaching half of the US seats, liberal leaders concede they will enter coalition talks from a position of unprecedented weakness. Orthodox organizers, meanwhile, say they intend to seek larger allocations for yeshivot, campus outreach, and religious neighborhoods – signaling a financial and ideological tilt that may reshape Zionist priorities for the next five years.