In a stunning twist of ideological warfare, the Zionist-aligned Masorti (Conservative) movement’s Mercaz Olami has admitted to launching a covert influence campaign targeting Israel’s Haredi communities. The campaign, featuring inflammatory posters denouncing Zionism as “idolatry” and “heresy,” was designed to dissuade ultra-Orthodox participation in Zionist institutions—despite those same institutions being used by Haredi parties to access substantial public funds. Spearheaded by Mercaz Olami head and WZO Vice Chairman Yizhar Hess, the operation has exposed deep fractures within the World Zionist Organization and ignited controversy over ethical lines in political and religious maneuvering.
Zionist Movement Admits to Anti-Zionist Campaign in Haredi Neighborhoods
In an unprecedented act of ideological subterfuge, members of the Masorti/Conservative movement's Zionist arm, Mercaz Olami, have admitted to orchestrating a covert campaign designed to discredit ultra-Orthodox involvement in the World Zionist Organization (WZO). The operation, executed in Haredi neighborhoods across Israel, involved distributing posters that branded Zionism as idolatry and heresy — ironically, with funding from a Zionist-affiliated group.
The campaign aimed to drive a wedge between the Haredi public and their representatives in Zionist institutions, particularly those tied to the Eretz HaKodesh slate. According to Mercaz Olami, Haredi participation in the WZO is not ideological but financial — a calculated move to secure access to vast Zionist resources, particularly those disbursed through the Keren Kayemeth L’Yisrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF).
1/ Rabbi Pesach Lerner, of Eretz HaKodesh (contesting the 2025 WZC elex):
— Jonathan 🦁✡ (@Hertsnik) May 11, 2025
“We do not recognize the legitimacy of Reform or Conservative Judaism. We will do everything in our power to prevent their influence over Jewish life in Israel.”
Please register & vote for pluralism. /c
Disguised as Internal Haredi Messaging
The posters, crafted to appear as if they originated from within the Haredi community itself, were signed “the pained sons of the Torah” and quoted prominent Lithuanian Torah authority Rabbi Dov Lando. They called for total disengagement from Zionist institutions, declaring:
“You cannot participate in their institutions… It is idolatry. It is heresy like idolatry and even worse… It is a very, very, very serious prohibition to vote in the \[Zionist] organization’s elections.”
Beyond general ideological condemnation, the posters also named and shamed specific Haredi leaders — including MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) and Bnei Brak CEO Shmuel Litov — urging them to comply with Rabbi Lando’s ruling and cease their involvement with WZO and KKL-JNF.
Hess Confirms, Critics Condemn
The campaign was first reported by the Haredi news site Kikar HaShabbat and later confirmed by eJewishPhilanthropy.com. WZO Vice Chairman Yizhar Hess, who heads Mercaz Olami, openly took responsibility. He justified the campaign as a necessary exposure of what he views as ultra-Orthodox hypocrisy.
🚨 Today is the LAST day to vote!
— Zionist Organization of America (@ZOA_National) May 4, 2025
Rabbi @pinidunner, ZOA Coalition candidate, urges you:
Vote ZOA Coalition - Slate 15 in the WZC election - TODAY
so the STRENGTH of the ZOA is felt in the WZO -
make your voice heard for a strong Israel! 💪
Vote now👉 https://t.co/PkR1tnUQLS pic.twitter.com/9X3s0cRGbV
“Top ultra-Orthodox leaders who proudly reject Zionism have used their proxy, Eretz HaKodesh, to join the Zionist Congress and National Institutions just to access their funds,” Hess charged. “Israel’s future as a strong, Jewish, and democratic state is at stake. Eretz HaKodesh’s patrons are scared because their hypocrisy is being revealed.”
While the posters were circulated in Israeli neighborhoods where residents cannot vote in the U.S.-based World Zionist Congress elections, their message was crystal clear: Zionist dollars are funding their own ideological opposition, and it’s time to end the charade.
Thank you to my friend Rabbi Donniel Hartman. I am honored by your friendship and support.
— Yizhar Hess יזהר הס (@yizhar_hess) March 17, 2025
By voting for pro-pluralism, pro-democracy slates in the ongoing WZO elections such as @MERCAZUSA, Jews around the world can help make sure Israel is united and stronger than ever. pic.twitter.com/NFR6Wfjzlj
Not Illegal — But Deeply Controversial
Despite the shocking nature of the campaign, WZO officials admit that no bylaws were broken. Still, critics inside the organization have condemned the effort as “underhanded” and damaging. “It’s not illegal and it’s not fraudulent, \[but] it’s below the belt,” said David Yaari, vice chairman of KKL-JNF and chair of the Kol Israel slate.
Yaari’s remarks echo wider concerns over the integrity of Zionist institutions, which are already under scrutiny amid allegations of election fraud in the American Zionist arena—charges that Mercaz Olami itself has vocally denounced in other contexts.
A great conversation leading up to Canada's WZO elections. Vote Mercaz. https://t.co/QMbtQghptc
— Rabbi Steven Wernick (@rebsteve) May 6, 2025
Tensions Run Deep Between Zionist Institutions and Haredi Slates
The Haredi establishment’s opposition to Zionism is neither new nor subtle. Just last month, Agudath Israel of America issued a formal statement denouncing involvement in Zionist institutions. In parallel, rabbis at the Ner Yisroel yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey, hosted events urging the Haredi community to boycott World Zionist elections entirely.
Despite these public condemnations, Haredi slates like Eretz HaKodesh continue to engage in Zionist forums. Critics argue their goal is not to reshape Zionism but to siphon funds from institutions they do not ideologically support.
Please vote in the World Zionist Congress elections. It's
— Mark Burt (@BloggerFool) April 30, 2025
essential that leftist parties NOT continue control of important funding for Israel's institutions. https://t.co/bxob4GB7nV Please vote for Eretz HaKodesh in the WZO Congress Elections: https://t.co/f9g1VSi4qt
The Bigger Picture: Zionism vs. Religious Pragmatism
This latest saga underscores the growing ideological war over who gets to define Zionism — and who gets to benefit from it. The fact that a Zionist group would go so far as to fund anti-Zionist messaging reveals just how high the stakes have become.
As the lines between theological purity, political pragmatism, and financial opportunism blur, one thing is clear: the battle for the soul and funding of the Zionist movement is far from over.