Twenty-Seventh Congress
Jerusalem 1968

The Congress was held a year after the Six Day War and in a united Jerusalem. For the first time, youth delegations were present at the proceedings, including student groups and the Aliyah movement. This reflected developments in the Jewish world and in particular the large numbers of volunteers that arrived in Israel prior to and immediately after the War. It was also noted that the War had, for the first time, generated a significant immigration to Israel from Western countries.

Within the context of discussions over aliyah, the Congress accepted the decision of the government to establish the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

The Congress also amended the Jerusalem program of 1951 which had defined Zionist goals. The new text read as follows:

"The aims of Zionism are:
The unity of the Jewish people and the centrality of Israel in its life;
the ingathering of the Jewish people in its historical homeland, Eretz Yisrael, through aliyah from all lands; the strengthening of the State of Israel founded on the prophetic ideals of justice and peace;
the preservation of the identity of the Jewish people through the fostering of Jewish and Hebrew education and of Jewish spiritual and cultural values;
the protection of Jewish rights everywhere."

The election of a new President of the WZO, following Nahum Goldmann's resignation, was deferred to the Zionist General Council which elected Ehud Avriel to the position of Chairman and Arye [Louis] Pincus to Head of the Executive.

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