New Land Purchases in Palestine Made With Canadian Funds; Jabotinsky Explains How He Signed “White Book”; Mizrachist Criticizes Agency (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Further enunciations of Zionist leaders representing the various constituencies on the present state of affairs in the Zionist movement and in Palestine were made at an extraordinary session called for Monday night.
The session was called to provide opportunity for those spokesmen of the various groups who could not participate in the general debate before Weizmann’s reply, as well as to those oppositional leaders who desired to make reply to Dr. Weizmann’s statement.
The session took place under the chairmanship of Rabbi Meyer Berlin and demonstrated a continued determination of the oppositional groups to oppose the Weizmann policy. Dr. M. Soloweitschik of Berlin, representing the group known as Radical Zionists, expressed his group’s disapproval of the policy of the Executice. His group will vote against the re-election of all members of the former Executive, he stated.
Richard Lichtheim of Berlin, Revisionist, read a statement in behalf of his group in which the external and internal policies, as well as the method of Palestine work of the Zionist Executive, were condemned. He stated that his group will vote lack of confidence in the Executive.
Vladimir Jabotinsky was given the floor to reply to Weizmann’s question why he had agreed when he was a member of the Zionist Executive to accept Churchill’s White Book which puts a new interpretation on the Balfour Declaration. Jabotinsky explained that he had given his consent under an ultimatum, when he returned to London from America and had had only one evening in which to consider the proposal. He had to accept Weizmann’s assurance “that the battle was lost” and because of his loyalty to Weizmann, he decided to share the responsibility of his colleagues. “I regret today that the undeserved loyalty is being exploited,” he said.
The delegates listened with great attention to the paper read by Dr. Arthur Ruppin, Palestine colonization expert, on the subject of “The Problems of Palestine Upbuilding.” He praised the achivevements of the Palestine labor organizations, stating that they are a step on the way to a sound economic policy. He warned against excessive pessimism among Zionists, recalling that the Zionist budget for Palestine in 1908 amounted to only £800. “In 1914 Zionists had not yet discovered America.” he said.
Dr. Ruppin urged that the labor settlements be placed on a sound, selfsupporting basis and that steps be taken to pave the way for a Zionist loan. He demanded that the Palestine government change the land taxation system.
M. M. Ussishkin, head of the Jewish National Fund of Jerusalem, announced that he had just received a telegram from Palestine that in the next few days the purchase of a large area of land, made possible through the contribution of Canadian Zionists, will be accomplished. He stated that the future of Palestine lies in the solution of the land problem. “The basis of Zion is the Jewish National Fund. The hopes placed in private initiative have not been fulfilled. The prospects that state lands will be given for Jewish colonization are small,” he said. Mr. Ussishkin praised the action of the Canadian Zionists who have accomplished a great deal, notwithstanding the fact that they are only a handful. He expressed the hope that the Canadian land-purchase is not a mere episode, but will become a system. “Their achievement will be inscribed in the Golden Book of the National Fund,” he declared.
The views of the Mizrachi, the Orthodox wing of the Zionist movement, were expressed by Deputy H. Farbstein of Warsaw, one of the Mizrachi leaders. While declaring that his organization “will not place any obstacles “will not place any obstacles in the way of realizing Weizmann’s Jewish Agency plan,” the Mizrachi spokesman had a number of grievances to voice.
“The Mizrachi will patiently wait the decisions of the experts commission, but it does not fail to realize that the Agency may become a calamity for the entire Zionist movement. The Marshall – Weizmann letters have caused embitterment and pain in the hearts of Orthodox Jews,” he stated. “According to this correspondence, Palestine is to have no priority in Jewish life, it being on the same level with Brazil or the Crimea. We are told to conclude an agreement concerning Palestine with these people and conduct a common activity in Eretz Israel. That means, to strike out Eretz Israel from our hearts and prayers.
“If this at least would mean a guarantee for the obtaining in America of the necessary funds. it might be all right, but even this is not probable.” he stated. “Without the Chaluzim, Palestine cannot be built. but the Chaluzim alone without the middle class will not be able to build Palestine. The middle class has its idealism. We must take the Jewish people as it is. We cannot transform it through a chemical formula.
“The Zionist Executive is not free from blame for the conditions prevailing in Palestine. Weizmann is satisfied with the government’s activities in the economic field, but the fact of the matter is that the customs policy, the railway tariff and taxation policy are strangling every industry in the country,” he declared.
The speaker also urged that Zionist leadership appreciate the traditional Jewish element which is organized in the Mizrachi and do not ignore their wishes.
At the opening of the session Nahum Sokolow read a list of those Zionist workers who died during the nast two years and the delegates paid tribute to the dead leaders by rising.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
