Jerusalem’s deputy mayor will be the first woman in the post.
(Courtesy of World Confederation of United Zionists) Fleur Hassan-Nahoum has been named secretary general of the World Confederation of United Zionists, the first woman appointed to the position. Hassan-Nahoum is deputy mayor of Jerusalem and serves as special envoy for innovation for the Foreign Ministry. She is co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council. Hassan-Nahoum follows veteran Jewish educator and organizer Aaron Weil in the position.
Kol Israel, a partnership of the World Confederation of United Zionists and Tnuat HaMercaz Haliberalit HaNoar HaTzioni, is the ideological successor to the General Zionist Party. Uniquely independent of political parties and religious denominations, Kol Israel engages with the majority of world Jewry looking to connect with Israel without labels or limitations. With an eye to the future, they invest in Zionist youth movements and restore innovation to the heart of the Zionist movement.
“Fleur brings a lifelong career as an advocate for and promoter of Israel-diaspora relations and is a welcome and strong voice of unity at this critical time,” said Kol Israel Chairman David Yaari. “With deep leadership experience and a strong network of Jewish, Zionist and institutional relationships, Fleur will play a crucial role in expanding our partnerships with Jewish communities around the world.”
“Fleur is a Jewish leader who brings not only political experience but also an understanding of the needs of global Jews in relation to Israel. Her effective communication in English, Hebrew and Spanish is a welcome addition to our joint faction,” said Sergio Edelstein, a member of the Zionist Executive who represents the faction and heads the youth and future generations department within the World Zionist Organization.
The announcement comes on the same day that Hassan-Nahoum was appointed to the board of the Jewish Agency, having been a leading candidate for chairwoman in the 2021 selection process. She was warmly congratulated in a small gathering of Zionist leaders in the historic Weizmann Hall of the World Zionist Organization headquarters in Jerusalem. Yaakov Hagoel, World Zionist Organization chairman, joined Kol Israel faction leaders and supporters in congratulating the World Confederation of United Zionists and Hassan-Nahoum.
“We are thrilled to welcome Fleur into this new position. Her passion for the people and state of Israel combined with her commitment to public service are important and refreshing additions to the WZO leadership,” he said. “We need to work together to make sure that the crisis that Israel faces today turns into an opportunity for renewed vision and commitment.”
Ifat Ovadia-Luski, chairwoman of KKL-JNF, spoke at the ceremonial event, telling Fleur that
“The World Confederation of United Zionists chose you, but they are also lucky to merit having you as their secretary general.”
Gil Troy, academic historian and author of “The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland — Then, Now, Tomorrow,” described the current moment as “our chance to remember what unites us — to understand that we have unity even if we don’t have uniformity.” Troy concluded his keynote by addressing Fleur, saying, “I want to say mazal tov, but also mazal tov to us. We have a visionary who understands that we are so much more united, so much more powerful than they [Israel’s detractors] think we are.”
“I am honored to take part in the leadership of the Kol Israel faction, the flagbearer of modern, innovative Zionism,” said Hassan-Nahoum. “I have watched from the sidelines as national institutions — once the leaders of the Jewish world — have fallen into politicization and stagnation. We will emerge from Oct. 7 and this war changed — individually and as a people. It is time to invigorate the system with new blood, to make the unity of the Jewish people a priority, and to write the next chapter of our movement that will move Zionism forward for the next generation.”
