Government Support of Communal Zionist Activity Groups 

A new position paper, composed as part of the IZS Young Leadership Program, proposes an action plan for contending with the problem identified central to contemporary Israeli society: the erosion of the national sense of solidarity and partnership upon which the State of Israel was established.

In reaction, a “re-blossoming of Zionism” has appeared in recent years in the form of “communal Zionist activity groups” – groups of young people established to promote core values and interests such as Zionism, various national and social missions, a communal lifestyle involving communal activities, and settlement of the land for national and social reasons.

This paper recognizes these groups as having a potential for major change in Israeli society, a transformation which will heighten social solidarity and personal commitment.  The study concludes that these groups will play a central role in shaping the next generation of Zionist, political, social and ideological leaders in Israel.

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Privatization of Israeli Lands – An Update

The reform in the Israel Lands Administration, which was supposed to have gone into effect on 1 January 2010, still has not gone into effect for a number of reasons:

A.    As decided in the legislation hearings, the reform cannot be implemented until a collective bargaining agreement has been made with the employees of the Administration.  This agreement has not yet been concluded.

B.     Implementation of the reform includes a land swap transaction between the State and the Jewish National Fund.  This transaction's approval was seen as controversial by KKL-JNF institutions, and is currently being challenged in court proceedings.

C.    The Supreme Court is presently deliberating the legality of the reform, as it purportedly violates the Basic Law: Lands of Israel, which prohibits the transfer of such lands to private ownership.

Dubi Helman: Stop Demeaning the Severity of Diminishing Sovereignty Over Our Lands

Dubi Helman, Chairman of the IZS Lands Committee, published an article explaining the importance of agricultural settlement and retaining ownership of land as well as the danger of losing sovereignty over the land of the Galilee and Negev as increasing areas of land are illegally seized.

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