The news has inspired heated discussions, with Haredi leaders promising to respond and Conservative figures facing very tough questions.
A recent investigation by Kikar Hashabbat has revealed a hidden campaign by the Conservative movement to challenge the Haredi group Eretz Hakodesh within the World Zionist Organization.
Leaked WhatsApp messages show Yizhar Hess, a senior Conservative leader, and his aide Eyal Ostrinsky organizing a targeted effort to influence Haredi communities with posters, flyers, and social media, all while keeping their involvement under wraps.
The Kikar Hashabbat report details how Hess, deputy chairman of the World Zionist Organization for the Conservative movement, and Ostrinsky, a former Labor Party member, ran a carefully planned campaign to weaken Eretz Hakodesh. This U.S. based Haredi group has grown influential in the World Zionist Organization, securing 25,000 votes in the 2020 Zionist Congress elections and aiming to expand its reach in 2025. Eretz Hakodesh pushes for Haredi interests while participating in Zionist institutions, a stance that has put it at odds with some groups.
The Conservative campaign, funded by the “World Center” organization, included several methods:
- Posters and Flyers: Hess and Ostrinsky created and paid for posters targeting Eretz Hakodesh leaders, including Shmuel Litov, Eliyahu Gafni (son of MK Moshe Gafni), Yitzhak Pindrus, and Moshe Gafni. These were placed in Haredi neighborhoods like Bnei Brak and Jerusalem to pressure these figures within their communities. The posters criticized Eretz Hakodesh for participating in Zionist institutions while opposing certain Zionist principles.
- Social Media Strategy: They hired Haredi influencers to share images of the posters on Twitter, increasing their visibility.
- Plans were also made to bring the campaign to U.S. Haredi communities in places like Borough Park, Lakewood, and the Five Towns, with ads in newspapers like Yated Ne’eman and Mishpacha.
- Hiding Their Tracks: To avoid detection, Hess insisted the materials look authentically Haredi, even claiming to be “former students of Rabbi Dov Lando” defending his honor. Rabbi Lando’s ruling against involvement in national institutions was used to frame Eretz Hakodesh as betraying Haredi values.
- Keeping It Secret: The WhatsApp messages show a strong focus on secrecy, with Hess directing payments through an advertising agency and checking U.S. laws to ensure their identities wouldn’t be revealed.
Hess’s public actions added to the controversy. While privately attacking Eretz Hakodesh, he tweeted positive comments about its members, like calling Eliyahu Gafni “pleasant,” to avoid suspicion. Invoices issued under “World Center” for “advertising and graphic services” confirmed the Conservative movement’s role.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Trust, Deception, and Division
This story has upset many in the Jewish world for several reasons, shaking confidence in communal leadership:
- Crossing Into Haredi Space: The Conservative movement’s efforts to influence Haredi communities, which have their own religious and cultural practices, feel like an overstep. By using Haredi language and Rabbi Lando’s ruling, Hess and Ostrinsky tried to manipulate a group they’re not part of, aiming to create conflict and weaken a competitor. This is particularly sensitive given Haredi communities’ caution about outside interference.
- Contradictory Behavior: Hess’s public praise for Eretz Hakodesh while secretly working against them has stunned many. He says the campaign was meant to expose Eretz Hakodesh’s inconsistent stance on Zionism, but his own hidden tactics seem just as contradictory. Eretz Hakodesh called his actions “cowardly,” a view shared by many in Haredi circles.
- Questionable Tactics: The campaign’s methods, like personal attacks and posters in residential areas, come close to harassment. Eretz Hakodesh claims some actions may be illegal, and the use of third party payments raises questions about transparency, especially in the U.S., where disclosure rules could apply.
- Risk to Jewish Unity: The World Zionist Organization is meant to bring Jewish groups together. This conflict between the Conservative movement, which promotes inclusivity, and a Haredi group seeking a voice in Zionism could widen existing divides. With the 2025 Zionist Congress elections approaching, this issue might affect voter turnout and alliances.
- Impact Beyond Israel: Plans to target U.S. Haredi communities like Lakewood raise the stakes. These communities, especially the Lithuanian Haredi supporters of Eretz Hakodesh, play a big role in Jewish politics. The Conservative movement’s move could push them away, creating tension between religious and progressive Jewish groups.
Why It Matters: A Blow to Jewish Cooperation
This campaign isn’t just about politics; it’s about trust. For Haredi communities, it confirms fears of outsiders trying to control their narrative. For Jews everywhere, it shows how far some groups will go to gain power in Zionist institutions, even if it means dividing the community. Hess argues the campaign was needed to reveal Eretz Hakodesh’s contradictions, like opposing military service in the Knesset while joining Zionist programs. But his secretive and divisive approach has drawn sharp criticism, with Eretz Hakodesh saying it strays from Jewish values.
The rise of Eretz Hakodesh, which claims successes like securing IDF exemptions and supporting right wing policies, has challenged progressive control over World Zionist Organization budgets and decisions, reportedly worth $2 billion. The Conservative movement’s response suggests they’re worried about losing ground, but their tactics might backfire, energizing Haredi voters and exposing their own weaknesses.
As this story develops, Jewish communities are left wondering: Can the World Zionist Organization still unite different groups? Will this push Haredi groups to engage more in Zionist politics or pull back? And how will Jewish communities move past a campaign that turned potential partners into opponents?
This article orignially appeared on jfeed.com