In November 2025, the American Jewish Committee signed a historic cooperation agreement with the Japanese Jewish community, expanding the global Jewish partnership network to 41 communities and achieving the first formal partnership in Asia. This event has become the latest footnote to the contemporary global layout of Jewish people.
At the same time, after weeks of intense negotiations, the World Zionist Organization finally reached a power-sharing agreement that will determine the flow and use of over $1 billion in funds annually. These two simultaneous but geographically distant events outline the breadth and depth of the global Jewish network.
01 Global Jewish Institutions: Power Distribution and Fund Flows
The World Zionist Organization, as one of the core institutions of the Jewish people, became a stage for internal power struggles in November 2025. After weeks of tense negotiations, various factions finally reached a power-sharing agreement.
According to this agreement, the chairmanship of the World Zionist Organization will be held by Yakov Hagoel, a representative of the right-wing Likud group, for the first half of the term, and then by a representative of the center-left bloc for the second half. Similarly, the leadership of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) will also be shared equally between the two blocs.
These positions control an annual budget of over $1 billion, used to support global Jewish education, promote the return of Jews to Israel, and various Jewish causes.
An interlude occurred during the negotiations—an attempt was made to arrange a position for Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the attempt failed amid strong opposition. This detail reveals the complexity of power struggles within Jewish institutions.
02 Regional Expansion Strategy: Global Network from North America to Asia
The American Jewish Committee, as a major global Jewish advocacy organization, is actively expanding its international network. On November 14, 2025, the organization signed a historic partnership agreement with the Japanese Jewish community, marking its first formal entry into Asia.
The Japanese Jewish community, established in 1953 and located in Tokyo, consists of nearly 150 member families. Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, emphasized that this cooperation reflects “the vitality and diversity of Jewish life in Japan and globally” and will help “ensure that the voices of smaller Jewish communities are heard on the international stage.”
This cooperation agreement is not an isolated event but part of the American Jewish Committee’s global network expansion. The organization has already established a global network of 41 Jewish community organizations.
Through its headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, and 15 overseas posts, the American Jewish Committee has built a vast and sophisticated global operational network.
03 Academic Bridges: Knowledge Networks and International Cooperation
In the global layout of Jewish organizations, academic cooperation and knowledge network construction play a key role. In November 2025, the Hebrew University collaborated with Germany’s top research institution, the Max Planck Society, to launch the International Center for Security and Human Rights.
The center will be established within the framework of the Minerva Center for Human Rights at the Hebrew University Law School, with a five-year budget of 5 million euros, and will host an interdisciplinary doctoral and postdoctoral program.
Professor Barak Medina, former President of the Hebrew University, stated: “The establishment of this center comes at a critical time when global democracies are facing increasing challenges to the rule of law and human rights, and Israel is no exception.”
Similar academic collaborations not only consolidate the connection between Jewish knowledge and the global academic community but also provide a platform for the dissemination of Jewish ideas and values. This “soft power” strategy is a crucial part of the global layout of Jewish people.
04 Regional Strategic Adjustments: New Focus on Africa and Latin America
The global layout of Jewish organizations is undergoing strategic adjustments, particularly in Africa and Latin America. The American Jewish Committee’s Africa Institute led its first delegation to West Africa, meeting with Ghanaian President John Mahama and other senior officials.
The organization also committed to hosting an agricultural technology summit in Ghana in 2027 and organizing special seminars on artificial intelligence and disinformation for leaders in Togo.
In Latin America, the Uruguayan Jewish community publicly demanded in November 2025 that the government restore an innovation agreement signed with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2024, which had been “suspended” in August.
Jorge Tobal, President of the Uruguayan Jewish Brotherhood, emphasized: “Conflict must not be a reason to harm education and innovation.” This appeal was echoed by Ruperto Long, former President of the Uruguayan Technological Laboratory.
05 Interaction Between Israel and Global Jewish Communities
The relationship between Israel and global Jewish communities was fully demonstrated in a series of events in November 2025. The International Council of Jewish Women’s educational seminar was held in Haifa, bringing together female representatives from 12 countries.
Due to the war, non-Israeli participants were initially hesitant to attend, but fortunately, a ceasefire agreement was in place by the time they arrived.
Meanwhile, during his state visits to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israeli President Isaac Herzog highlighted the inequality in the global allocation of attention.
These interactions demonstrate the two-way relationship between Israel and global Jewish communities—Israel relies on the support of global Jews while also serving as the core of global Jewish identity.
06 Challenges and Internal Criticism: Reflections on the Global Jewish Layout
The global layout of Jewish people has not been smooth sailing, facing both external challenges and internal criticism. In Uruguay, Jewish community leader Jorge Tobal pointed to a series of worrying events, including offensive comparisons made by a university professor against Jewish philosophers, vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, and provocative demonstrations near Jewish schools.
Simultaneously, Jewish institutions also face allegations of corruption and power struggles. Yair Lapid, leader of Israel’s Yesh Atid party, condemned the “culture of corruption and political appointments” upon withdrawing from World Zionist Organization negotiations.
He even concluded that these institutions “cannot be repaired—they need to be shut down.” This internal criticism reveals the structural challenges facing the global Jewish network.
The core of the global layout of Jewish people lies in a complex network woven from formal institutions, informal networks, financial resources, academic collaborations, and religious-cultural ties. From the cooperation between the American Jewish Committee and the Japanese Jewish community to the power-sharing agreement of the World Zionist Organization, and the academic collaboration between the Hebrew University and German research institutions, these seemingly independent events are actually different manifestations of the same strategy.
The global layout of Jewish people is both a response to historical dispersion and a forward-looking plan for future uncertainties. This layout is not the result of centralized command but rather the collective efforts of numerous organizations and individuals in the same direction, jointly building a network that is both resilient and flexible.
As Israeli President Isaac Herzog implied, in a world full of conflicts and crises, such a precise and extensive global network may be the way for the Jewish people to face challenges.
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