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CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
Thursday, July 20, 1950
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page 3
Leaders' Quality Declines With Z OA Importance
By PIIINEAS J. BIRON
AT THE BEGINNING of Zionism, when Jewish na-
tionalism was weak a mediocre Zionist leadership
would have been fatal to the movement. Also in the
years immediately preceding the es-
tablishment of the Jewish state such a
leadership might have missed the boat
of history.
Today, however, unless the United
Nations should reopen the entire ques-
tion of Jewish statehood, it is of rather
minor importance whether the presi-
dent of the Zionist Organization of
America is a super-statesman or a
super-dress manufacturer.
Ile cannot influence the political
course of the Jewish state. We doubt
whether he can affect the financial
Biron
picture of foreign assistance to Israel.
Since this is so, we must expect a further decline
in the caliber of American Zionist leadership.
Our top rabbis, several of whom nursed the ambition
to inscribe their names as successors to Rabbi Solomon
Goldman, Israel Goldstein, Abba Hillel Silver, are no
longer anxious to attain the presidency of the Z.O.A.
No matter how brilliant they might reveal them-
selves, they would still remain second-class leaders,
subject to decisions of the official leadership of Israel.
THERE IS ONE lamentable aspect in the presidency
of the Z.O.A. which was permitted to develop because
of the timidity of those entrusted with the direction
of public relations of the Z.O.A.: that is the acceptance
of the policy that the president of the Z.O.A. is entitled
to monopolize the publicity issued by the organization.
Today, virtually no release is issued from the press
department of the Z.O.A. unless it features the presi-
dent either as the spokesman or the source of authority.
This has become a ludicrous tradition, which is even
more comical since it is common knowledge that the
president frequently is not even aware of what state-
ments or announcements are placed in his mouth.
We are pointing out this deficiency in the spirit of
constructive suggestion.
•
•
SINCE IT IS AN accepted vacation pastime to dis-
cuss postmortems of the Z.O.A. convention, we want the
floor on an important issue which the convention, fol-
lowing the pattern of its predecessors, has ignored.
We refer to the amazing fact that the Zionist organi-
zation refuses to deal with the virulent anti-Semitism
directed against the Zionists in America.
The Zionists of America are the principal targets
of the Mcerwin K. Harts, the Upton Closes, and their
stooges.
Most often the Merwin K. Hart type of literature at-
tempts to convince its readers that Zionists are merely
Thinking of Zionism
Undergoes Revolution
-
By WILLIAM ZUKERMAN
TT IS NOT YET widely recognized that the last Zionist convention
Lin Chicago was a landmark in American Zionist history and that
it has ushered in a theory of Zionism, or at least an interpretation
of it, which contradicts the one which dominated the American Zion-
ist movement for two decades. 4>
Superficially t h e convention
Shortly before and during the
dealt mostly with the so-called second World War, it looked as
"autonomy" question, or the in- if American Zionism had almost
dependence of the ZOA. But be- blended with its European coun-
hind that question, another one ter-part and both had become one
occupied the minds of the dele- united Jewish nationalistic move-
gates. Indeed, the question of in- ment. It was this intensified na-
dependence of the ZOA and the tionalism, known in America as
consequent clash between the Is- "militant" Zionism.
raeli and American Zionist lead-
Afer the establishment of the
ers, was but one aspect of the state of Israel, a new great "let-
larger problem.
down" set into the ranks of the
. This was: a new conviction that American Zionists. The "let-
American Zionism can no longer down" was not with regard to
be the same as in Europe and in Israel, or aid to it. On the con-
Israel; that conditions of the trary, the interest in Israel has
Jews in America are different probably increased with the new
from those in other countries and feeling of collective pride which
therefore Zionist theory cannot the emergence of the state called
be applied in the same manner to forth.
American Jews as to Jews in Eu-
The decline was in nationalistic
rope and in Israel.
feeling and this for a very un-
In Europe, Zionism has always derstandable reason, for the es-
been a movement to transplant tablishment of the state of Israel
the Jews themselves from their has confronted American Zion-
places of persecution and home- ists with a concrete and painful
lessness to Israel.
dilemma:
In America, Zionism has been
If they were, as they said, na-
a movement to help other Jews tionalists, then they had no oth-
to go to Israel. European Zionism er recourse than to settle in Is-
has been nationalistic; American rael, or at least to start packing.
Zionism, philanthropic. When Zi- For Jewish nationalism has al-
onism was but a theory, the dis- ways meant that Israel is the
tinction between the two brands home of all Jews and that no
could be overlooked or glossed Jew can live fully and happily
over. But now that Israel has except in Israel.
• • •
been established, the difference
between the two has become so
ADDING TO THE COMPLI-
sharp that they cannot parade as CATION, the Israelis began to
one any longer. All this is, of exacerbate the painful dilemma
course, not new.
by reminding the American Zi-
The distinction between Zion- onists of their nationalistic prom-
ism and nationalism has been de- ises and to demand their fulfill-
bated in Europe and in this coun- ment. Ben Gurion, Dobkin, Lu-
try among nationalists and anti- rie, Golde Meyerson, Greenbaum
nationalists for years.
and the other leaders of Israel
• • •
have always remained consistent
THE AMERICAN ZIONIST nationalists.
movement began 50 years ago as
They sincerely believed their
an avowed philanthropic move- own propaganda that all Jews
ment intended to help Jews of outside Israel are in "exile" and
Czarist Russia leave their homes have to be "redeemed" through a
and settle in Zion. That phase of process of "ingathering" to the
the American Zionist movement Jewish state and that no Zionist
continued approximately until with a feeling of dignity can re-
main in the diaspora now that
after the first World War.
During the tragic years which Israel is established as a state.
followed, American Zionism be- They thus began to send their
came more and more national- calls to American Zionists to hon-
or their nationalistic promises
istic.
"'LIAR ROCK
SALMON
UN Unit Moves
to Jerusalem
GENEVA—(WNS)— The Unit-
ed Nations Conciliation Commis-
sion on Palestine, after six months
of fruitless deliberations, has de-
cided to shift to Jerusalem where,
it hopes, closer contact with the
chief principals may yield better
results.
a front for Communists and that the Zionists are con-
spiring to destroy these United States and govern the
world.
YET OUR ZIONIST leadership refuses to recognize
that their movement is under heavy fire.
They assume a position as if the attack was not
aimed at their very work. Yet, one need not be a
prophet to predict that this continuous stream of poison
will ultimately endanger the work of the UJA.
Besides, it already is intimidating numerous Jewish
smalltown businessmen who admit that they are afraid
to join the Zionist Organization.
It should have been absolutely essential for the
Z.O.A. convention to take a stand. But nothing was
done.
Perhaps the major reason for this paralysis is the
unwritten arrangement governing our over-organized
Jewish life that the problem of anti-Semitism belongs
exclusively to the Anti-Defamation League, the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress
and the Jewish Labor Committee,
To "trespass" on their territory would mean open
conflict between the Z.O.A. and these organizations.
And yet, it would seem that the Zionist Organiza-
tion should have the right to defend its own interests.
We would be interested to hear from readers on this
subject.
Esrogi ► No Luxury,
Israeli Ministry Rules
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
THE RATIONING MINISTRY in Israel has its hands full these
days what with keeping tab on old regulations and making new
rulings. At one of its recent sessions the question came up how to
classify esrogim, the citrus fruit used for religious ceremonial pur-
poses during the Succoth week. •
Before leaving, the commission
issued a statement regretting its
inability to secure the consent of
Israel and the Arab states to a
procedural proposal which, it
claimed would have "hastened
the return of final peace to the
Middle East."
The proposal called for the
Heads were bending under the
question "Is an esrog a luxury or
a necessity?" There were enough
arguments pro and con but in the
end the religiously-minded won
out when the rationers ruled an
esrog was no luxury and there-
fore tax free on the retail mar-
establishment of mixed commit- ket. Incidentally Israel will ex-
tees in which Arab and Israeli port about ;150,000 worth of es-
delegations would conduct ne- rogim this year.
• • •
gotiations under the Commission's
auspices.
YOU WOULD THINK being
The lone exception was Jordan, the prime minister of a country
which had been negotiating sepa- has its advantages. But this
rate peace talks with Israel until doesn't evidently seem to be the
some months ago, when the talks case in Israel. Recently Ben Gur-
were suspended pending the out- ion wrote a letter to the Tel
come of the elections in that Aviv taxation department com-
country. However, since the elec- plaining that an excessive tax
tions Jordan has indicated no de- had been placed on his property.
sire to renew the talks, a situa- The reply he received convinced
tion which is said to be ascribable him that the Tel Aviv fathers
have little concern for a Premier
to Arab League pressure.
when it comes to extracting taxes.
• • •
and to come to Israel or at least
SIXTY
-
FIVE
YOUNG ladies
to send their children.
American Zionists found them- in Israel are facing perjury
selves in the position of men who charges as a result of swearing
had issued promissory notes and they were Sabbath observers.
could not meet them on demand. Their crime was not that they
This, not the question of auton- were not in fact observers but
omy or leadership, is the real is- that they said they were in order
sue behind the clash between Is- to avoid military service.
raeli and American leaders. It is
Under the Knesset military act
a clash between a theory which both men and women must reg-
grew up in one part of the world ister for military service. But the
(Europe and Israel) and condi-, law provides exemption for re-
tions of life which prevailed in ligious women. The young ladies
another part of the world (the thought they would beat the un-
United States and other overseas palatable task of army duty. What
countries).
they didn't know was that the
government had an army of spot-
ters trailing them.
The army ditchers were seen
alighting buses and cars on the
Sabbath and when their registra-
tion cards showed they had been
exempted from service because of
religious considerations t h e iy
were rounded up.
The exemption certificates are
secured through' application to
any judge. All the feminine ap-
plicant has to do is swear that
she is a religious observer. Since
the military act calls for the reg-
istration of women between thg,
ages of 20 and 25, the desertion\
spotters often run into grave
trouble, for only a courageous
young lady will admit she is over
that age. In such cases the offi-
cers take the name and address
of the person questioned and
check on her verity through oth-
er sources.
•
Israel Recognized
by Swedes, Danes
TEL AVIV—(WNS)—Full de
jure recognition of Israel was
extended this week by the gov-
ernments of Sweden and Den-
mark, it was disclosed here this
week.
The simultaneous recognition
by the two Scandinavian states
came shortly after a note by the
Swedish government expressing
satisfaction over the Bernadotte
affair. The note referred to the
incident as a closed case.
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