Questions and Answers for delegates and participants
in the 35th Zionist Congress.
Logistics:
Q: When does the Congress begin? When do I need to arrive?
- The opening session of the Congress will be held on Monday, June 19th 2006
in the evening. Delegates and other participants are advised to check with their
federations, movements, britot, organizations if there are any events planned
to be held prior to the Congress, so that they can plan their arrival accordingly.
Q: Where will the Congress be taking place?
A. All plenary sessions and committee meetings will be held in the Jerusalem Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma).
Q: What options are available for accommodations? How do I book a hotel?
A. Reservations will be made by Secretaries of the factions and the organizations.
Those unaffiliated and other participants should contact Eti Nissan by fax:
972 2 6202415.
Q: What language is the Congress conducted in?
- The official language of the Congress is Hebrew.
There will be simultaneous translation into: English, French, Spanish and
Russian.
Documents distributed will be in English and Hebrew only.
Q: Where can I get details regarding the Congress schedule?
- The central theme of the Congress will be:
"The Zionist Movement – Innovation and Revitalization".
Secondary Themes:
- Way of implementing the principals of the Zionist platform – The Jerusalem Program.
- Examining the participation of Jewish communities, organizations and other movements in the Zionist Movement.
- Sources for financial development to strengthen the independence of the Zionist Movement.
- Examining the structure and constitution of a revitalized Zionist Movement.
Further details will be posted on the website:
http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/Jewish+Agency+Resources/JAFI+WZO+Related+Sites/WZO/35th+Zionist+Congress
Q: What kinds of sessions will be included in the Congress program?
A . In addition to plenary and committee sessions, there will be panel discussions,
resolutions committees as well as regional meetings, caucuses of britot, sessions
for federation heads and meetings of Congress Committee chairpersons.
Role and rights of delegates and participants:
Q: What's my role at the Congress?
A: The role of delegates is: to attend all plenary sessions, all committee sessions to which they have been assigned, to vote on resolutions and to serve in those capacities as determined by their respective movements or factions.
The role of an alternate: to fulfill all the functions of a delegate, if the delegate does not attend all or part of the congress and the alternate has been assigned by his respective movement or faction to take his place. Until that time, the alternate has observer status.
The role of an observer is: An observer may attend all plenary sessions and committee sessions, place permitted. An observer may only take an active part in sessions by leave of the Chairman of the session. An observer does not vote on any matters coming before the session.
Q. What are the voting rights of elected delegates?
A. Only Delegates have voting rights.
Alternates, once approved as such, will assume the rights of the delegates whose
place they fill.
Members of the Zionist General Council, who are not elected delegates, may be
assigned to committees as full members of such committees, with the right to vote
in committee sessions of the congress.
The voting rights of delegates representing Britot and international organizations are: Delegates representing Britot, Hadassah and WIZO have full voting rights on all matters.
Delegates representing international Jewish bodies (such as Maccabi, B'nai Brit, Sephardi World Federation, Student Delegation, Zionist Council in Israel, organizations of the religious streams) may vote on all matters except for matters of elections and candidature.
Delegates will be issued voting cards for plenary (resolutions session) and committee meetings. Delegates with full voting rights will be issued voting cards of one colour and delegates with limited voting rights will be issued voting cards of another colour.
Q. How can delegates propose draft resolutions and what is the procedure and
deadline for this?
A. Proposals for resolutions must be submitted in writing, properly drafted and explained. Proposals from members of the Zionist General Council and of Zionist Federations must be submitted to the secretariat of the Presidium of the Zionist General Council: by fax: 972 2 6204099, not later than 60 days before the opening of Congress, i.e. up until April 20th, 2006. The Presidium may allow proposed resolutions to be submitted after this date, if it deems the proposal to be urgent.
A group of 50 delegates, the Executive and the Presidium of the Congress may submit a proposal at any time until the end of the deliberations of the congress committee concerned.
All proposals shall be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Presidium of the Zionist General Council prior to the congress, in order to avoid duplications and eliminate or limit proposals that are of a purely declaratory nature.
A proposal which is an amendment to the WZO Constitution must be properly formulated and reasoned and submitted to the Secretariat of the Council, 50 days prior to the opening of Congress, i.e. by April 30th, 2006, so that they can be distributed by the Secretariat no later than 40 days prior to the Congress.
Q. What is the role of committee members?
A. Committee members discuss the proposed resolutions that are submitted as described above. No new resolutions are allowed to be brought forward to the committees. Amendments to the proposals are allowed, if they are relevant to the original proposal. Proposals that are passed in committee are then brought to the plenum for final approval.
Members of a committee whose proposals were rejected by the committee are entitled to submit a minority proposal (votum separatum) which will be brought to the decision of the plenum.
Q. How do I get general information and background material?
A. The Department for Zionist Activities will be posting a guide for proposing resolutions in the proper manner and form.