About Us

The Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ) is a network of student activists organizing on campuses across North America for social justice and peace in Israel/Palestine. The UPZ was created to provide guidance, education and resources to students who seek to impart a progressive voice into the campus debate on Israel. Extremist voices pushing rigid “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestinian” positions have come to dominate the discourse on many campuses across North America, obscuring the issues and alienating significant numbers of Jewish and moderate students.

Because of our connection to Israel, we believe it is our duty to create a new vision for the Jewish state. As campus activists and members of the Jewish community, our strength lies in our ability to be active and critical leaders. We are committed to creating an alternative approach to Israel advocacy that embraces open dialogue and constructive activism, and that warrants critical analysis of policies, whether Israeli, Palestinian, American or other.

Declaration of Principles

The UPZ’s vision for Israel is based on the following principles:

• A just and peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict
• The cessation of all terrorist activity and violence against civilians, Palestinians and Israelis alike
• An end to Israel's military, civilian and economic occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
• A negotiated two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that recognizes the rights of self-determination for both peoples
• Social and economic parity for all citizens and residents of Israel
• The continued resolve of the U.S. and Canadian administrations and the North American Jewish community to hold Israel – and its advocates – to the values of democracy, social justice and pluralism