Zionist Federation re-elects chair after challenge from right-wing blogger

Members of the Zionist Federation have re-elected chair Paul Charney by a huge margin after a flailing challenge by a blogger whose efforts to remove a Liberal rabbi as patron were also thrown out.

Jonathan Hoffman – who later blamed “the Left” – managed to muster only a fraction of the support Charney received, as his bid to oust Liberal Judaism’s chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich foundered by similarly seismic margins.

The ZF later said efforts to remove Rich had been voted down “decisively” after right-wing anger that he had hosted left-leaning Jews from organisations such as Jews for Justice for Palestinians and Jewish Voice for Labour.

Charney praised the “diverse views” at this week’s Biennial, where delegates from across the political and religious spectrum representing the members and member organisations of the ZF elect officials and pass resolutions.

Among the decisions made at the Danubius Hotel in London’s Regent’s Park was an amendment to the constitution to enable non membership organisations “to join our Zionist umbrella and take full part of the Zionist conversation”.

ZF director Arieh Miller said: “It was great to see so many people engaging in the decision making processes. The decisions made today will have a real and genuine impact on the way the ZF is able to operate in the future.”