Orthodox Judaism's monopoly over religious life in Israel has systematically marginalized Conservative Jews, despite their deep historical ties to Zionism. Through personal experience navigating major Zionist organizations from the early twentieth century through the 1970s, combined with historical analysis, this examination reveals a pattern of exclusion faced by Conservative Jews in organizations ranging from the Zionist Organization of America to Labor Zionism to Poel HaMizrachi. Following Israel's establishment in 1948, Orthodox groups secured religious control through strategic use of Israel's proportional representation system, while Conservative Judaism remained politically unorganized and consequently sidelined. This disenfranchisement manifests in restrictions on religious practices, inequitable educational funding, and denied institutional recognition, with proposed amendments to Israel's Law of Return threatening to codify non-Orthodox Jews' second-class status globally. Traditional reliance on persuasion has proved insufficient - Conservative Jews must now establish their own political organization within the Zionist movement. The formation of MERCAZ (Movement for the Reaffirmation of Conservative Zionism) emerges as a vital step toward achieving religious equality in Israel and preserving Jewish pluralism worldwide.