The American Zionist Movement (AZM) has received a special status within the United Nation — NGO Special Consultative Status at the UN — which enables the organization to be an advisory body to the world body.
The status, acquired this week, gives the AZM the ability to participate in UN events and debates as well as to hold events within the framework of the UN.
AZM, established in 1993 to bring the Jewish community in the United States and Zionism closer together, is an organization that works to promote Zionist values in the US.
The movement promotes dialogue and cooperation between various Zionist organizations. Now it willbe able to do that under international auspices within the United Nations.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan and the Israeli Mission lobbied over the past year to promote the organization’s candidacy, raising the issue in meetings with ambassadors and senior diplomats.
Erdan and the AZM collaborate on projects such as the annual trips to Israel for UN ambassadors and the production of the Israeli Mission’s Independence Day event with the participation of UN Ambassadors, among other events.
“This is an important achievement. AZM is a force multiplier for Israel in the international arena,” Erdan said.
“I fight every day at the UN so that Zionism is considered an important and positive movement and I am happy that after the despicable decisions made at the UN in the past, the understanding of the importance of the Zionist enterprise is permeating the UN.
“We have proven that Zionism is no longer a dirty word within the corridors of the UN… AZM is leading an important effort to strengthen the State of Israel and I am sure that the movement will now be able to further expand and deepen its work.”
AZM president Deborah Isaac called the announcement “a great day for Zionism…AZM has a platform from which to move the discussion of Zionism and support for Israel in the United Nations from a negative to a positive.
“We are grateful to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, under the leadership of Ambassador Gilad Erdan, for assisting us in achieving this status.”
