Zionists D bale U. S. Jewry's Fut u
Goida Myerson Repudiates
Silve•'s Attack; Congress
Debates Manpower Issue
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Basic
conflicts within the Zionist
movement were highlighted in
a dramatic debate between Dr.
Abba Hillel Silver of Cleveland
and Israel's Labor Minister, Mrs.
Golda Myerson.
Dr. Silver, who mixed sharp
criticism of the Israel govern-
ment with appeals for unity
warned the Israel government it
Would have to face mounting
criticism..
"Friends of Israel will be more
critical and I counsel you to
take it in good grace," he said.
"Do not resent it. This criticism
will be due to the fact that they
hope Israel is to be great in
moral excellence and in every
other respect and when they see
party strife, dangerous schisma-
tic education and gross irregu-
larities in the Congress elections,
they feel let down.
"You, on the other hand, have
the right to speak to us for our
failure in halutziot because we
have failed. You may criticize
our impatience. Both sides, you
and we, should welcome frank-
ness. Let us work as one people
and we shalt be invincible in the
face of difficulties. Jewry is
waiting to give you the _support
to which you are entitled. We
will also give you, as a united
movement, manpower and
youth."
said: "If he was wrong once,
he may be wrong again."
Finally, she said that if the
American Zionist leaders had
come to Israel and settled there
after the state was established,
it would have been "an inspiring
example" of immigration for
American Jewish youth. "Israel
will yet see a mass migration
from the free countries," she
predicted, "because Jews will not
be able to resist the temptation
to participate in the upbuilding
of the state."
Weizmann Sees Vital Role
For the Zionist Movement
Dr. Chaim Weizmann reaf-
firmed his faith in the future of
the Zionist movement in a mes-
sage read to the opening ses-
sion of the Congress.
Prevented by ill-health from
making a personal appearance
before - the supreme organ of the
Zionist .movement in which he
was a dominant figure for many
years, he told his former as-
sociates that the Zionist move-
ment called upon to play a
major part in meeting the "tre-
mendous task of material and
spiritual reconstruction" facing
Israel.
"I look forward to a rich give
and take between Israel and the
great Jewish communities
abroad who stood by us in the
decisive hours of our struggle for
freedom," Dr. Weizmann said.
Dr. Isaac Herzog, Chief Rabbi
of Israel, in a message to the
Congress, said that the question
of "dual allegiance" was not in-
volved if it were realized that
the bonds between Israel and
the Jewish people were more
than historic ties with a small
country. "Israel is an instrument
in the hands of Divine Provi-
dence to cleanse the world of its
evil and to uproot viciousness, to
bring upon- the world justice
and peace," the Chief Rabbi de-
clared.
Criticizes `SocialiSm'
He praised the Israel govern-
ment "of which we are proud"
and to which he said all Jews
had contributed, and added that
much remained to be corrected
and rectified as was inevitable.
He warned, however, that should
Jews overseas begin to feel that
ISrael flouts them completely,
`they might cease to help you
and there will be nothing you
can do about it."
He attacked the demand for
"Unconditional cooperation" of
the Zionist movement with the
State of Israel proposed in con- Attempts to Disrupt Congress
nection with - the special charter Foiled by Israeli Police
sought by the movement in Is-
The Israeli police foiled an at-
rael and commented that the tempt to disrupt the opening
term unconditional is used t o- session of the World Zionist
wards enemies, not allies.
Congress and arrested three
He criticized the "Socialism in members of a group known as
our time" slogan since, he .said, "Canaanim." The police said
no such legislation was intended that the three had planned to
and the government, in any explode a stench bomb in the
ease, was working towards a Congress hall, which would serve
reasonable solution of its eco- as a signal "for further action"
nomic problems. From the long- which the police did not specify.
range view, he said, it was ob-
The "Canaanim" is a small
vious that Israel would have a group composed chiefly of native
mixed economy. If the Zionist born Israelis who preach the
organization of America be- return of the ancient Ashtoreth
lieved, he commented, that Israel cult. They consider themselves
should first build up its econo- the descendants of the ancient
my, that was not Toryism.
inhabitants of Canaan, the ter-
Mrs. Myerson Replies
ritory lying along the Mediter-
in a sharp and biting reply, ranean Sea and as far inland
Mrs. Myerson, who accused Dr. as the Judean Hills. The group
Silver of "insulting" the Israel advocates cessation of immigra-
government, issued a blanket in- tion to Israel and the develop-
vitation to all delegates to re- ment of close relations with the
main in the country after the peoples living on the "big plain
Congress ends and see for them- from the Euphrates to the Nile."
selves how Jewish national in- Court Denies Mandates to
terests are guarded by the gov- General Zionists, Mizraehists
ernment. She also referred to a
The Zionist Congress Court
"romance between Silver and denied mandates to the General
the Mapam," the pro-Soviet left Zionist and the Mizrachi Parties
Socialist party in Israel.
in Israel which had boycotted
In a scathing counterattack, the Congress elections. In its
Mrs. Myerson demanded to know verdict the court said: "One
what Zionist leaders in America cannot profit by boycotting elec-
had done to refute the libels tions."
that the Israel government_ was I The Congress Court decided to
preventing private capital and reduce the number of Israel
f or e i g n investors from par- delegates to the Congress from
ticipating in Israel's upbuilding. 206 to 185 because of "certain
She asked whether some of irregularities in the elections." Its
these same leaders had not ruling gave the Mapai 93 dele-
helped fan "the fires of allega- gates; the Mapam, 41; the Miz-
tion."
rachi Laborites, 23; the Herut,
The Israelis, she insisted, are 18; the Progressives, 10, and the
always ready to listen to advice, Zionist Revisionist group led by
although understandably, they Meir Grossman, one.
are not always Willing to accept
Dr. Nahum Goldman n,
it. Claiming that in 1939 Dr. chairman of the American
Silver opposed illegal immigra- section of the Jewish Agency
tion to Palestine and a straining executive, was elected by ac-
of relations with Britain over its clamation to the presidency of
White Paper restricting Jewish the Congress. A 14-man prae-
immigration to Palestine, she sidium was elected, composed
I
16
—
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 24, 19R
of Mrs. Judith Epstein (Ha-
dassah), Benjamin G. Browdy,
(General Zionist), Louis Segal
(Labor Zionist), all of the
United States; Rabbi J. K.
Goldblum (General Zionist
Progressive), of England; Dr.
Yaari (Mapam) of Israel; M.
Yarblum (Labor Zionist) of
France; Itzhak Harkavi (Gen-
eral Zionist) ; Mrs. Golda My-
erson (Labor Zionist) of Is-
rael; Rabbi M. Nurock (Miz-
rachi) ; Elimelch N e u f e l d,
(Poale Mizrachi) of Israel;
Joseph Klarman (Herut) of
Israel; and Joseph Sprinzak
(Labor Zionist) of Israel.
The Jewish Agency Executive,
deplored the premature release
and unauthorized publication of
a report by Dr. Emil Shmorak,
Agency comptroller, containing
allegations of maladministration
in some Agency departments. It
asserted that the report con-
tained "distortions due to in-
correct evaluation" and insisted
that Comptroller Shmorak had
an "insufficient understanding"
of some matters.
Need for Manpower
Allegations that the Zionist
movement in the Western coun-
tries and particularly in the
United States, were not doing
enough in the provision of pio-
neering elements for the Jewish
state were aired by many dele-
gates. Leading American dele-
gates took the stand in reply to
these charges that they were
ready to provide manpower but
could only do so gradually, not
on a mass basis.
Most of the Israelis who ad-
dressed the Congress stressed
manpower as the most urgent
need of the country. Eliahu
Dobkin, a member of the Mapai
Party and head of the Jewish
Agency's. youth and pioneering
department, told the Congress
that only a strong Zionist move-
ment could provide Israel with
this necessary manpower, as-
serting that non-Zionists could
never ignite the enthusiasm of
Jewish youth and provide the
type of education indispensable
to creating a climate conducive
to the production of idealists
willing to make sacrifices for Is-
rael through pioneering.
Jews from Western countries
totalled only 30 per cent of the
total immigration into Israel
during the past two months,
Dobkin pointed out although
they had represented 90 per cent
of the immigration prior to the
establishment of statehood. He
rejected an offer made by Ben-
jamin G. Browdy, president of
the Z i i s t Organization of
America, to provide technicians
only. He said these technicians
were not coming and that al-
though they are needed, they
are not the pioneers who are
most needed—youths willing to
forfeit careers and comfort of
life in" the wilderness and back-
breaking chores.
He called for dissolution of
Zionist parties in overseas coun-
tries and the establishment in
each country of a unitary Zion-
ist movement ready to mobilize
pioneers and private capital for
Israel.
A spokesman for the Rus-
sian-oriented Mapam Party,
J. Bar-Yehuda of Israel,
warned the American Zionists
that "in 10 or 15 years from
now, you, too, may be faced
with the need for sanctuary."
Meir Grossman, representa-
tive of the small Zionist Re-
visionist group, also sounded a
warning against developments
hostile to the Jews in the
United States.
Eliezer Kibneh, Israeli Ma-
pai leader, told the Congress
that if the Jews of the United
States fell, Israel would also
be doomed. "How would we
feel as a minority in Asia; if
the Jewry of the United States
were exposed to racial per-
secution?" he asked. He de-
clared that to offset the dis-
advantage of being a minority
in the Orient, Israel needed
the talents of numbers of
American Jews.
"Be Realistic"—Greenberg
Dr. Chaim Greenberg, Ameri-
can Labor . Zionist leader, ad-
vised the Congress to adopt a
"realistic" attitude on the ques-
tion of large-scale emigration
from the United States to Israel
composed of pioneering el e-
ment s. He bluntly declared
that American Jews would not
"be persuaded to come to Israel
by declaration and manifesta-
tions by the Congress."
In seeking to explain the sit-
uation, particularly to Israelis
who were most critical of the
American Jewish role, Dr.
Greenberg told them that just
as there was a difference . be-
tween Medieval Spain which ex-
pelled the Jews, and Holland,
which -gave them refuge, there
was a difference today between
Iraq and the United States.
American Jews, he said,
"rightly or wrongly, do not re-
gard themselves as candidates
for mass emigration in the near
future. They cannot be per-
suaded to accept the fate of
German Jewry . as their own fate.
They do not believe it can hap-
pen here."
American Jews, he said, "will
not be persuaded to come to Is-
rael by declarations and mani-
festations by the Congress. I
am not a non-believer in a pio-
neer migration from America,
but I advise you to be, realistic.
I am also, on the othe
r
one of these who are not
ashamed of the Galut and be-
lieve that the Galut, under cer-
tain circumstances, has an hon-
orary status of exclusivity."
Ask Better Understanding
Mrs. Samuel Halprin of New
York, national president of Ha-
dassah, appealed for a better
understanding of the special
position of Jews in the United
States.
The speaker urged continua-
tion of a strong, dynamic Zion-
ist movement, which, she said,
was "the strongest link between
Israelis and Jews abroad." She
opposed the plan of territorial
union, proposed by Eliahu Dob-
kin, head of the Jewish Agency's
organization department, noting
that it was "still too early."
Mr. Browdy asserted that the
American Zionist movement . is
prepared "to train youths in
those trades and professions in
which they will not only make
a living but which Israel most
requires." However, he warned
that preaching emigration of
American Zionist youth "by in-
stilling fear in them" will not
work. He insisted that American
Zionists "will not create an exo-
dus psychology."
Dr. Neumann declared that
pioneer immigration is the "col-
lective responsibility of Zionism,
but I cannot subscribe to • the
view that it is the individual re-
sponsibility of each individual
Zionist." He added, however,
that without such pioneering
immigration the Zionist move-
ment ceases to be just that.
Dr. Goldstein Lauds Truman
Dr. Israel Goldstein, chairman
of the World Confederation of
General Zionists, praised Presi-
dent Truman's aid to Israel. He
demanded a special status for
the Zionist movement in Israel,
maintaining that Zionists can
mobilize Jews throughout the
world in support of Israel's
struggles and campaigns for its
political rights.
Dr. Max Kirschbloom, Ameri-
can Mizrachi delegate, attacked
Israel's "coolness" to Zionist
Rathenau's Interest in Zionism Shown
In His Correspondence with Dr. Herzl
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Dr. Wal-
ter Rathenau, first Foreign Min-
ister of the Weimar Republic,
who was assassinated in 1922
following intense anti-Jewish
propaganda against him, read
Zionist publications and litera-
ture although he was not a Zi-
onist, his correspondence with
Dr. Theodor Herzl, founder of
modern political Zionism,
veals,
re-
The Rathenau-Herzl corres-
pondence, published for the first
time this week in the Congress
edition of "Zion," organ of the
World Zionist Executive, reveals
Dr. Rathenau's interest in the
Zionist movement and the at-
tention he gave to developments
concerning
(-) .
—9111111111 111
veterans at a time when "Zion-
ism cannot waste the energies of
any one." He advocated contin-
uation of the party system in
the Zionist movement because
"only those imbued with ideolo-
gical zeal can be enthusiastic
Zionists."
Oppose "Scare Propaganda"
Opposition to "scare propa-
ganda" aimed at getting Ameri-
can Jews to migrate to Israel
was expressed by Berl Locker,
addressing the Congress. Such
propaganda, he said, is useless,
citing the example of Polish and
Russian Jewries. "A 1 t h o ugh
these Jews had been persecuted,
they did not emigrate in masses,
although they might have been
among the living if they had
done so," he declared.
Consequently, he c o n tinued,
there is much less reason to
hope that "scare propaganda"
would convert American Jews.
However, he urged American f
Zionists not to attempt to ra-
tionalize and explain away their
failure to settle in Israel.
Dr. Nahum Goldmann took
issue with Mrs. Halprin. "Ga-
luth (exile) does not cease
being Galuth because Jews are
happy and well treated there,"
he said. "Galuth is not meas-
ured by good or bad treat-
ment. Galuth is a mystical
concept. If you deny that
America is Galuth yOu might
as well deny the need for Is-
rael." He recommended that •
more funds be spent on the ()
training of Jewish youth for
emigration to Israel as pio-
neers.
In closing the stage of the
general debate at the Zionist
Congress, Dr. Goldmann said
that the primary tasks of the
Zionist movement in countries
outside of Israel are: the raising
of funds for Israel; "Zionizing"
the Jewish youth; "capturing"
local communities, and avoidin ,
getting involved in party dif-
ferences.
At a press conference Dr
Goldmann predicted that the
name of "Jewish Agency for Is-
rael" would replace the former
title of "Jewish Agency for Pa-
lestine" and that the American
branch of the Agency would be
continued and that a European
office would also be set up. He
expressed confidence that a ma-
jority vote will be mustered in
both the Zionist Congress and
the Israel Parliament to grant
the world Zionist movement a
special status in Israel.
"Many thousands" of Jews
may come from the S o v i e t
Union to Israel in the future,
Itzhak Raphael, head of the
Jewish Agency's immigration
department, indicated at the
Congress. He said that the re-
cent arrival of several Jews from
Russia to join their relatives is
a sign that a serious diplomatic
attempt in Moscow may achieve
the uniting of thousands of
families some of whose members
live in Israel and others in the
U.S.S.R.
Mr. Raphael said that of the
600,000 Jews expected to immi-
grate to the Jewish state in the
next three years some 400,000
are from Oriental countries.
A four-year plan to place
4,000,000 dimams (1,000,000 acres)
of land under irrigation and to
settle 25 percent of Israel's an-
t i c i pated 2,000,000 population„
was presented to the Congress
by Levi Eshkol, head of the
Agency's Settlement D e p a r t-
ment.
Implementation of this plan,
Eshkol reported, will require a
total expenditure of 215,000,000
pounds ($502,000,000) of which
156,000,000 pounds ($436,800,000)
would be required before the end
of the four years. Of this
amount, he said, 58,000,000 (162,-
400,000) would be required in
foreign exchange.
A resolution calling_ for the
closing of the Jewish Agency
executive branch in New York
was defeated. at the closing ses-
sion of the world Labor Zionist
conference , when a majority of
the delegates decided that such
a step would be "premature."
Instead, a committee consisting
of Zalman Shazar, Louis Segal
and Baruch Zuckerman was ap-
pointed to outline in concrete
terms a program for the Agency
executive in America.