Blog Post: Building a Worldwide Progressive Zionist Coalition

June 19, 2026

by Rabbi Ariel Naveh

In the interest of full disclosure, as an American, hope is in short supply right now. As an American Reform rabbi, and a queer Jew, I could rattle off a list of reasons why so many of us feel like we are scrambling for hope. I also realize that starting an essay about the weeklong international UPZ (World Union of Progressive Zionists) seminar in Budapest I had the honor of attending last month with a note about my own despondency may seem counterintuitive and not just a little bit soporific, but such is the reality for many progressive Zionist Jews here these days. 

However, if I gleaned anything from the seminar, it is that our comrades all over the world share that struggle, but even more importantly, they share the sense that this is not insurmountable. Against the backdrop of the very real concerns of democratic backsliding worldwide, and the heartbreaking political loneliness so many of us in the progressive Zionist community face, the overarching message was less that things are tough all over, although they are, and more that our solidarity is our strength. 

As a proud board member of Partners for Progressive Israel, I came to the seminar with the intention of solidifying our longstanding relationship with the UPZ, and came away certain that our movement can and will succeed. This is not delusional optimism. Rather, this is an understanding that if indeed, as the Talmud tells us, כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה, all of Israel is responsible for one another, then the progressive, pro-democracy movement, led predominantly by young people and students, to rebuild their country in the wake of 16 years of Viktor Orban, is our movement as well.

It is the understanding that Viennese Jewish students who formed a literal human shield around their Holocaust Memorial in order to prevent a far-right member of parliament from using the Memorial and the Viennese Jewish community as a prop can be an inspiration to Jewish students here and all over the world as they advocate for a democracy that is wide enough and strong enough to fit everyone in.

At each program we attended throughout the seminar, whether it was a conversation about Hungary post-Orban, a presentation about the collaborations between Women Wage Peace נשים עושות שלום in Israel, Palestine, and Uruguay, or even the discussion about the upcoming Israeli elections, we learned that power never succeeds in the long run when it is imposed upon people. Real power works only in collaboration and solidarity. 

This message can be hard to fully internalize right now, as authoritarians, and wannabe authoritarians, are trying their hardest to wield their power over their citizens, because they are terrified of what could happen when their citizenry pushes back. And invariably, it will. It may sound trite, but the seminar reminded me that we truly are stronger together. Our Jewish community in specific and democracy in general thrive when we are able to move beyond fighting about the definition and utility of words and start building the coalitions we will need for the real fight against those who seek to divide us needlessly.

It was an honor to represent both the USA and Partners for Progressive Israel at this remarkable seminar. I know that I did so with real pride and real optimism in the future, a trait that seemed confounding to a lot of the other participants, especially considering the precarious state of our own democracy here in the US. But Partners for Progressive Israel is in a unique position to bolster that optimism exactly because we are a part of this incredible network of fellow progressive Zionists all over the world who are committed to working towards a more perfect democracy everywhere.

Ariel Naveh is a progressive Rabbi, educator, and political organizer, and is on the board of Partners for Progressive Israel. He currently lives and works on Long Island.