Protests Stifling of Jewish Immigration by Palestine Government

The Zionist Congress, following its principal session Wednesday night, reconvened Thursday afternoon to find that progress is again blocked. The resolution authorizing the Executive to affix its signature to the compact with the non-Zionists could not be put to a vote because of the continued insistence of the Poale Zion labor leaders that before the new Executive is formed and legally elected it cannot be authorized to dispose finally of the Jewish Agency matter.

A proposal to the laborites to include in the resolution a reservation that only an Executive legally elected by the Congress may carry out this task was found by them to be unacceptable. The roll call was therefore deferred and the Congress proceeded to consider the resolutions of the Committee on Immigration.

The assembly passed a number of resolutions introduced by Elijah Dobkin, delegate from Czechoslovakia, in behalf of the committee. The establishment of a Zionist emigration office in Yemen, Central Arabia, to aid the migration of Yemenite Jews to Palestine, the demand for greater facilities for Jewish women to enter Palestine and a protest against the Palestine government for its alleged “stifling” of Jewish immigration to the country were passed.

According to the report of the committee, the admission of 5,000 Jewish labor immigrants is contemplated for the year 1930 although conditions in the Palestine labor market show that 9,000 new laborers may find employment. Mr. Dobkin related that the Executive threatened with “drawing the consequences” if the committee would present the protest it contemplated against the Zionist Executive for its violation of the decision of the Zionist General Council concerning the number of immigration certificates for Jewish immigrant workers which was to have been asked for 1929. The Executive, he stated, asked for less, creating a condition in which Jewish labor was scarce and the penetration (Continued on Page 8)

of Arab workers into Jewish economic positions made possible.

The Zionist Executive was urged in a resolution passed to endeavor to secure the abolition of the immigration restrictions, particularly the abolition of the high head tax and the limitations on the entry of immigrants with means. Special consideration was asked for prospective emigrants from countries where Zionists and Jews are subject to persecutions, Soviet Russia, Yemen and other Oriental countries being named. Greater facilities for immigrants with means was demanded and an extension of the training of a larger number of Palestine pioneers through the pioneers’ organizations.

The Committee on Committees continued its efforts to secure an agreement on the composition of the Executive so as to hasten the final vote on the Jewish Agency. Dr. Arthur Ruppin agreed to enter the Executive if the resolution adopted by the Thirteenth Zionist Congress to create a special colonization fund will be adopted by the present Congress. This fund proposed by the Palestine directorate of the Keren Hayesod is to assume complete control of the present and future Zionist colonization in Palestine. Dr. Ruppin also wishes the inclusion in the Executive of M. M. Ussisbkin as a representative of the Jewish National Fund. Dr. Ruppin’s proposals, it was stated, are acceptable to the labor groups whose slate includes Col. Frederick H. Kisch or Harry Sacher as head of the political department in London, Miss Henrietta Szold or Isaac Gruenbaum, to head the education department; Felix Rosenblueth to head the organization department, which should be transferred from London to Palestine. He is also considered for the treasury department when Theodor van Vriesland will leave the Executive to join the Novomejsky Dead Sea concern. The Executive is also to include one Laborite and one Mizrachi representative.