New Religious Zionist Political Group Disqualified from World Zionist Congress Elections Over Fake Signatures

A newly formed political faction called "Emunim," led by Samaria Regional Council head David Ben-Zion, aimed to join forces with an existing party and participate in the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections. However, the list Ben-Zion established under the name "Achdut Yisrael" was disqualified from the 2025 national institutions elections due to serious violations uncovered during the registration process.

The American Zionist Federation's election committee and court found that out of 878 submitted signatures, 535 were either fake or invalid, failing to meet the minimum requirement of 800 valid signatures. The list also refused to cooperate with investigators, leading the court to reject its candidacy. Although the list received 1,592 valid votes and 1,771 invalid votes, the court ruled that even with a reduced penalty of 25% invalidation, the faction would not have secured a seat in the Congress. A fine of $10,130 was imposed.

In a prior ruling on a related case, the court mandated that the list must undergo the entire certification process again for future elections, as some signatories were ineligible. A minority opinion called for outright disqualification at the initial stage, citing breaches that undermine election integrity. These rulings cast significant doubt on the new political body Ben-Zion is building, especially as it seeks to establish "Emunim" as a contender in future Knesset elections. David Ben-Zion has not yet responded to the disqualification.

The controversy erupted amid broader tensions in the World Zionist Congress plenary session over judicial reforms, highlighting the challenges facing emerging political groups within the Religious Zionist sector.