ABOUT Rob Berg
Rob Berg – Candidate for the 2025 World Zionist Congress.
Why should you vote for me?
- I have a track record of promoting Israel education and advocacy both within the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in New Zealand.
- I have lived in Israel and served in the IDF, therefore I have a lived understanding of the needs of both the Israeli Jewish and Diaspora Jewish communities and the importance of close ties between the two.
- I have strong connections in both of New Zealand’s two main Jewish centres – Auckland and Wellington.
- I have organised Israel support events since 2016 and several more since 7 October 2023.
- I have served on the Executive of the Zionist Federation where I was President for 6 years, on the Executive of the NZ Jewish Council, and I currently am on the Executive of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation.
- I have helped bring Shlichim to New Zealand in the past and I am determined to use my connections in Kol Israel, the Jewish Agency and key people in New Zealand to bring back community shlichim to New Zealand.
- I am known both in the Jewish Agency, the World Zionist Organisation and KKL-JNF.
- I have the backing of a large organisation in Kol Israel which is steeped in the history of Zionism and the re-birth of the State of Israel.
My contribution to the NZ Jewish community and Israel advocacy and education
Following the then Hamas-Israel war in 2014 when there was a significant spike in antisemitism and Israel hate being seen on the streets and social media in New Zealand, the Auckland Jewish community held a meeting to discuss our response. It was from here I decided that I needed to become involved more in the community to fight antisemitism, actively show support for Israel, and support Jewish continuity in New Zealand. A few months later, I was asked to join the Executive of the Zionist Federations of New Zealand’s (ZFNZ) and the following AGM was elected as President, a role I held for 6 years.
It would be fair to say that apart from Chanukah in the Park, Yom Ha’atzmaut and the Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron services, the ZFNZ was struggling to find a position in the community, and was in financial difficulty. During my tenure, and with the help of some very dedicated people, the ZFNZ once again become a significant community organisation and gained financial security. As President, I was often interviewed on radio and television, and wrote several articles supporting Israel that were printed as Opinion pieces in both the NZ Herald [1] [2] [3] and The Dominion Post (now The Post).[4]
During my time as President of the ZFNZ, I also held the Israel Portfolio on the Executive of the New Zealand Jewish Council, a position I held for almost three years. I attended two World Zionist Organisation Conferences (Va’ad HaPoel) and was the New Zealand delegate for the 2020 World Zionist Congress (WZC).
More recently, I have organised many of the vigils and rallies in support for Israel following the 7 October 2023 atrocities,[5] [6]and helped plan the one-year anniversary services in Auckland and Wellington, where I was MC for the event. I also the current President of the JNF in New Zealand and am the Director of Education at the Wellington Jewish Community Centre.
Who are Kol Israel?
Since 2020 as the NZ Delegate for the WZC, I have been a member and representative in New Zealand of Kol Israel, a Zionist political organisation that is not linked to any political party or religious affiliation. Kol Israel was established to emphasize diversity across the centre-left to centre-right and religious spectrum, where we prioritise unity and a wide tent amongst both Israelis and the diaspora (as opposed to digging our heels in the sand on more divisive issues as left or right wing parties tend to do).
Kol Israel are advocating for a 21st century style Zionism that takes a big leap forward and adapts to the needs of today instead of relying on the same old tired strategies. Whereas a lot of parties are founded in opposition to others, we're standing at the centre and advocating for what we think should lead Zionism in the 21st century.
The Kol Israel slate stands on the shoulders of a historic group called the General Zionists, who included Theodor Herzl and Israel's first President, Dr. Chaim Weizmann. We are diverse Zionist leaders and activists, who have come together to put political and religious differences aside to fight for the common good and for pragmatic initiatives for our people.
Kol Israel is also backed internationally by major groups and has people like Esther Renzer the Co-Director and Co-Founder of StandWithUS and Fleur Hassan Nahoum the former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem on the Executive Team.
What are Kol Israel’s main platform agenda items?
The four pillars of Kol Israel's platform are: Education, Leadership, Responsibility, Innovation.
Our action plan involves the following:
- Fighting antisemitism.
- Strengthening the bonds between Jews in New Zealand, the Diaspora, and Israel, and ensuring more interactions between communities.
- Investing in renewed programmes and energy for Zionist youth movements
- Empowering diverse Jewish voices from under-represented groups in the Zionist movement.
- Restoring the leadership and funding to the Zionist Federations.
- Advancing new and bold Zionist ideas by creating an Office of Zionist Innovation (OZI).
What has Kol Israel achieved?
Since the last World Zionist Congress, Kol Israel has achieved the following:
- Tripled the educational budget of KKL from 80M NIS to 260M NIS per year.
- Established a Zionist Youth Movements Department with a US$1M annual budget, a first in KKL’s history.
- Secured first-time funding for: Masa (30M NIS), March of the Living (3.5M NIS), Nefesh B’Nefesh (9M NIS), The Israel Day Parade for Israel’s 75th anniversary.
- Allocated a 10M NIS tender to combat antisemitism on campuses, KKL’s first-ever initiative outside of Israel.
- Increased KKL’s budget for Zionist Federations worldwide by 20%.
Why should I vote for Kol Israel?
Kol Israel brings a proven track record of success in the WZC and champions delegates who bring fresh voices to Jewish activism and community building. We are independent of any political party or religious affiliation, united by a commitment to action and impact. With your vote, we’ll ensure the World Zionist Congress’s resources are put to work for the global Jewish people.
As the New Zealand delegate and member of Kol Israel, I will be able to vote for how I best feel New Zealand would want to vote. Kol Israel are not tied to voting on how the left or right or the orthodox – reform – secular caucuses want to vote, which means we can vote for what we feel is best for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.
We have a strong focus on Jewish and Israel education in the diaspora and we are intent on working with key people in New Zealand and in the Jewish Agency in Israel to secure funding for community Shlichut. As someone who has grown up in the UK with community shlichim and managed them in my role as President of the ZFNZ, I am only too aware of the importance shlichim have for our community in New Zealand. It is both an essential ingredient for Jewish continuity and Israel education.
[1] www.nzherald.co.nz/world/rob-berg-israel-right-to-defend-itself-against-hamas-terrorist-attack-in-gaza/HVLA6HLYRNFK7NO76O2DWLYSO4/#google_vignette
[2] www.nzherald.co.nz/world/rob-berg-it-is-anti-semitic-to-oppose-israels-right-to-exist/XYU56AXQUBYE7RKQAZKTC74P2Q/
[3] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rob-berg-looking-beyond-the-simple-and-biased-narrative-on-israel/HP5LRVSOD3Z4WDZGZAOAFXY6RM/
[4] https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360498754/arrest-warrants-continuation-prejudice-against-israel
[5] www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350481510/israel-hamas-conflict-pro-palestinian-pro-israeli-gatherings-in-auckland-call-for-ceasefire-release-of-hostages
[6] www.renews.co.nz/thousands-march-in-pro-palestinian-and-pro-israel-rallies-across-nz/
