United Nations
Week
Plea for Justice
and Peace
Editorial
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
Page 4
Commentator's
of Jewish Events
Calls Struggle an Internal Affair'
Direct From
Israel
Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper—Incorporating The Detro'
VOLUME XXXII — No. 8 <az ,
. 27 17100 W. 7 Mile Rd. — VE 8-9364 — Detroit 35, October 25,
Report
-onicie
This Page
and Page 40
Yea S ng e
0 9 4,
Copy 5c
‘1 -2 °;>'fr
0
Israel States Intent to
%.in
Aloof in Turkey-Syria Crisis
Zionism at the Crossroads
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
Will Ben-Gnrion Go to Canossa?
By JOSEF FRAENKEL
—At Canossa in 1077 the Emperor Henry IV waited
barefooted in the snow to submit to Pope Gregory VII.
Zionism stands for combat. Its history is based on the names of persons who fought within
and without the ranks of the Zionist Organization. When Theodor Herzl
published his "Jewish
State" in 1896, 99% of the Jewish people were ag ainst modern Zionism. They
considered
it to Jews
be
an utopian dream. Only tremendous work at last succeeded in awakening the belief
of the
in the realization of the Zionism program for the building of the State of Israel.
Within the Zionist Organization itself there were violent conflicts of tendencies and parties
on the ways and means of carrying out the Zio nist program. The battle of opinions has raged
since the first Zionist Congress of 1897. Every President of the Zionist Organization — Theodor
-Herzl, David Wolffsohn, Otto Warburg, Nahum Sokolow, Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Goldmann
his opponents. Ussishkin opposed Herzl, Weizmann attacked Wolffsohn in his speeches, Nor-
dau was against Warburg, the Jewish State Party voted against Sokolow, Jabotinsky revolted
against Weizmann and now David Ben-Gurion carries on the tradition in his disputes with Gold-
mann. As long as the opposition considered its elf an integral part of the Zionist Organization
and
was loyal
to the Zionist
achieving
the Zionist
aim. family, these dram atic performances only strengthened the hope of
Frequently, actually from 1897, there were Zionists who speedily lost faith in the Zionist
Organization and left Herzl's movement. "I am no Zionist," declared Dr. Alexander Minth who
helped
to formulate the "Basle Program" and was a member of the First Zionist Executive.
Jabotinsky Left and Then Returned
"I am no Zionist," announced Nathan Birnbaum (Mathias Acher), the first general-secre-
tary of the Zionist Organization, and he did not appear again at the Second Zionist Congress.
How many Zionists abandoned the Zionist Orga nization, together with Israel Zangwill, when he
founded the Jewish Territorial Organization in 1905? Thousands of all parties—many of whom bore
famous names.
Vladimir Jabotinsky, the creator of the Jewish Legion, left the Zionist Organization but
returned penitently to the fold. Ben-Gurion, who was present, should be able to recall Jabotinsky's
words at the 14th Zionist Congress in 1925: "I stand here at Canossa." It was sad that Jabotin-
sky's warning voice was no longer heard at the 19th Zionist Congress (1935),
and that instead
he
formed a competitive group—the New Zionist Organization. His withdrawal from the Zionist
Organization was his greatest mistake. He must have realized that, for he wanted to make another
comeback, but the Second World War intervened. What became of the New Zionist Organization?
After only a few years of existence it collapsed like a house of
cards and in 1946 its members
returned to Herzl's movement.
There has always been a strong political affinity between Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky. They
fought bitterly and quarrelled over their conflic ting views and formulae. In spite of that, there
is a similarity in their speeches and actions. Jabotinsky died suddenly during the Second World
War but his spirit lives on — in Ben-Gurion.
It is an old story, always being revived, that leaders often use the very same weapons and
ideas as the opposition which they formerly criticized and branded as dangerous. Weizmann was
against political Zilmism, nevertheless it was not until he practiced political Zionism himself that
his place in history as a leader was assured. Ben-Gurion is often a Ben-Jabo.
Since the establishment of the Jewish State, in particular since the 23rd Zionist Congress
(1951), Ben-Gurion has repeatedly attacked the Zionist Organization. At first with taunts and sar-
castic remarks. He even sometimes cast stones. Then he revolted not at all in the manner of a
prophet but like a rebel. He grew angry, started a "cold war" and then threw the bomb. "I am
no Zionist," should have struck the Zionist Organization to the heart.
-This demonstration by the former chairman of
the Zionist Executive and the present
Premier of Israel was neither wise nor dignified nor statesmanlike. Agudists, Bundists
Communists will often take the opportunity
and
of repeating these our An
Zionists will use them to relieve themselves of their Zionist obligations. This new
d avowal
by
Ben-Gurion must certainly have been carefully noted by the Arab States and Soviet
Russia.
But it will not remain at that. They will ask for further evidence. When one proclaims: "I am
Zionist," one must be consistent. Will Ben-Gurion resign from the Poole Zion? Will he form
to no new
party without Zionism?
The Zionist Organization was and remains a voluntary organization. No one can be com-
pelled either to join or to leave it. The Zionist Organization formulated its aim in the "Basle
Program" and then in the "Jerusalem Program." Whoever disagreed with these formulations could
get up and walk out of the Zionist building.
Herzl's Organization Remains Intact
Naturally, Ben-Gurion has tried to justify his negative assertion. Others who left the Zionist
Organization did the same. Anyone can comment freely upon Zionism but when one declares pub-
licly "I am no Zionist," then he is no Zionist. One may criticize Judaism as much as one desires,
but when one proclaims "I am no Jew," one is no Jew.
The Zionist Organization is a fort at which both in the past and today heavy artillery is
constantly being fired. Though badly battered, it still stands. Not even a Samson, young and long-
long-
haired, organization.
could demolish the Zionist edifices. It is easier to conquer Israel's enemies than to destroy
Herzl's
But let us assume that the Zionist Organization is dissolved. Would the enthusiasm of the
Jewish people for the Jewish State, sustained by Zionism for the last 60 years, grow stronger or
weaker? Would the public opinion of Jews in the Diaspora, in favor of Israel, become more or
less effective? Would the collection of funds rise or fall? Would the Aliya increase or decrease?
The Zionist Organization is in essence the voice of the Jewish people. When the Zionist Organi-
zation
zation cries out or is silent, the Jewish people too cry out or are silent. Without the Zionist
Organization there would indeed be no unity of the Jewish people.
Ben-Gurion, proud son of the Zionist movement, was reared within the Zionist Organization.
He has won honor and fame for the Jewish people with the help of the Zionist instruments. And
Ben-Gurion would like to break these same instrument-:1\In +h 4.
_
JERUSALEM — In what amounted to the first
official Israeli comment on the landing of Egyptian
troops in Syria last week, the government-controlled
radio called the troop movement an "internal affair"
of the two Arab states and added that no outside
power had the right to interfere.
The statement, made on a regular Arabic-lan-
guage broadcast, was believed
to have been inspired
directly by the Foreign Ministry. It declared that
it was a matter for the Syrian people to decide
whether they would accept the stationing of foreign
troops on Syrian soil.
Observers considered it significant that the first
statement of Israel's position on the Arab troop
movements was made to the Arabs. Up to the broad-
cast, the Foreign Ministry had declined comment to
either the local or the foreign press.
There were excellent strategic reasons for Is-
rael's policy of saying and doing nothing publicly
in the crisis, although the holiday celebrations of
Simhat Torah were interrupted for key political
party leaders by a summons from Premier Ben-
Gurion for talks on the developing crisis.
One development did emerge from the closely-
guarded record of the discussions. That was a pro-
posal from the right-wing Herut party that Israel
should mass along the Gaza Strip border as a coun-
ter-measure to the reported stationing of Egyptian
troops along the Israel-Syrian border.
The policy of silence was maintained carefully
on Egyptian President Nasser's surprise psychologi-
cal stroke of sending an estimated 500 troops to
Syria.
In so portentous a moment in the cold war,
Israel could hardly do more than maintain a state
of high alertness. In a Russian-created situation in
which, by mishap or intent, the Soviets might spark
the Third World War. Israel could have only sm.941,
influence on Middle East developments.
Ben-Gurion Reviews Mid-East Tensions
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Premier David Ben-
Gurion opened the winter session of the Israel Parlia-
ment with a long review of the Middle East situation
and of Israel's foreign policy in which he carefully
avoided any strictures on pro-Soviet Syria and was
relatively mild in his references to the Soviet Union.
(Continued on Page 3)
Purely Commentary:
Tourism. Is Israel's
Important Industry
By PHILIP
SLOMOV I TZ
JERUSALEM—A new era dawns for Israel's tourist pos-
sibilities. Already, the visitors to this interesting country
are matching the traditional "seventy nations" in the "ingath-
ering of the exiles." There is hardly a country on earth that
is not represented by the visitors. From East and West, North
and South, they come here to see how the Jewish State is
progressing, how its people live here, how they strive and
struggle, how they pray -for peace and at the same time
prepare to defend themselves.
The approach of the Tenth Anniversary Year is bringing
new activity to the land. Jerusalem is being provided with
new street lighting to illuminate the planned celebrations.
Much is being renovated throughout the land and there will
be many new stadiums for public gatherings.
Meyer W. Weisgal is the directing genius of the planned
celebration. He has ideas which are expected to bring more
than 100,000 American Jews to this country during the
anniversary year.
One of Weisgal's hopes is that each synagogue in Amer-
ica shoul:l send a minyan to Israel during the anniversary
year "other calls for the observance of Bar Mitzvahs of