Union Of Progressive Zionists
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The Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ) was a
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n network of
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish student activists who have organized around principles of
social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
and
peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...
in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
. The UPZ provides guidance, education, and resources to students who seek to contribute a progressive voice into the campus debate concerning Israel and Palestine. As of January 2007, the Union of Progressive Zionists had chapters at 60 colleges and universities. In May 2009, the Union of Progressive Zionists affiliated itself with
J Street J Street () is a nonprofit liberal Zionist advocacy and lobby group based in the United States whose aims include strengthening Jewish democracy in Israel, promoting a diplomatic end to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict with a two-state ...
and became
J Street U J Street () is a nonprofit liberal Zionist advocacy and lobby group based in the United States whose aims include strengthening Jewish democracy in Israel, promoting a diplomatic end to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict with a two-state so ...
.


History

The Union of Progressive Zionists was created in the early 2000s by college-age members of
Habonim Dror Habonim Dror (, "the builders–freedom") is a Jewish Labor Zionist youth movement formed in 1982 through the merger of two earlier movements: Habonim and Dror. Habonim (, "the builders") was established in 1929 in the United Kingdom and later e ...
and
Hashomer Hatzair Hashomer Hatzair (, , 'The Young Guard') is a Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement founded in 1913 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary. It was also the name of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party, the ...
, with the support of what was then known as Labor Zionist Alliance (and now Ameinu) and what was then known as Meretz USA (now
Partners for Progressive Israel Partners for Progressive Israel is an American non-governmental organization and registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to the achievement of a durable, secure, and just peace between Israel and its neighbors, including a two-state solution to the Israe ...
), two US Progressive Zionist organizations. UPZ's first national conference, held in October 2004, drew more than 100 students from 40 schools. From its founding, the stated intention of the group was to create a network of student activists who supported Israel and opposed the
Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been occupie ...
but felt alienated by both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian extremists.


Controversy within the Israel On Campus Coalition

In late 2006 and early 2007, the campus activities of the Union of Progressive Zionists created a stir within the
Israel On Campus Coalition The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) is a United States pro-Israel umbrella organization founded in 2002 with funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. ICC's chief exe ...
, an organization that seeks to promote a "pro-active pro-Israel agenda on campus," of which the UPZ was a member. Street U, the successor to UPZ, still works with the IOCC.Some of the coalition's more conservative members, such as the mainstream
American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests in the US and internationally through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The idea for a ...
(AJCongress) and the small right-wing group
Zionist Organization of America The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA; ) is an American nonprofit pro-Israel organization. Founded in 1897, as the Federation of American Zionists, it was the first official Zionist organization in the United States. Early in the 20th century ...
(ZOA), criticized the UPZ for sponsoring speeches by members of an Israeli organization,
Breaking the Silence Breaking the Silence may refer to: Films * ''Breaking the Silence'' (1992 film) a made-for-TV film directed by Robert Iscove * ''Breaking the Silence'' (film), a 2000 Chinese film * '' Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror'' ...
, former
soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...
who speak out against human rights abuses they have witnessed in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
. In December 2006, the ZOA called for the Israel On Campus Coalition to expel the Union of Progressive Zionists. Although the coalition's steering committee voted 9–0 against expulsion in January 2007, the issue resulted in a debate among major Zionist organizations. The
Jewish National Fund The Jewish National Fund (JNF; , ''Keren Kayemet LeYisrael''; previously , ''Ha Fund HaLeumi'') is a non-profit organizationProfessor Alon Tal, The Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion ...
joined the ZOA in demanding that the UPZ to end its relationship with Breaking the Silence (but not in calling for the group's exclusion from the coalition), and the
World Zionist Organization The World Zionist Organization (; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the Zionist Organization (ZO; 1897–1960) at the initiative of Theodor Herzl at the F ...
supported the UPZ, as did a group of 100 academics from Israel. The AJCongress threatened to quit the coalition out of dissatisfaction with the decision to allow the UPZ to remain.


See also

*
Habonim Dror Habonim Dror (, "the builders–freedom") is a Jewish Labor Zionist youth movement formed in 1982 through the merger of two earlier movements: Habonim and Dror. Habonim (, "the builders") was established in 1929 in the United Kingdom and later e ...
*
Hashomer Hatzair Hashomer Hatzair (, , 'The Young Guard') is a Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement founded in 1913 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary. It was also the name of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party, the ...
* Labour Zionism *
Zionist youth movement A Zionist youth movement () is an organization formed for Jewish children and adolescents for educational, social, and ideology, ideological development, including a belief in Zionism, Jewish nationalism as represented in the State of Israel. Yout ...
*
Ameinu Ameinu (, "our people") is a left-wing American Jewish Zionist organization. Established in 2004 as the successor to the Labor Zionist Alliance, it is the continuation of Labor Zionist activity in the United States that began with the founding ...
*
Meretz-Yachad Meretz (, ; ) was a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It had no seats in the Knesset following its failure ...
*
Partners for Progressive Israel Partners for Progressive Israel is an American non-governmental organization and registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to the achievement of a durable, secure, and just peace between Israel and its neighbors, including a two-state solution to the Israe ...


References

{{Jewish political organizations in Canada Student political organizations Jewish anti-occupation groups Jewish youth organizations based in the United States Zionist youth movements Jewish youth organizations based in Canada Zionist organizations in the United States