Vice-President, Zionist Organization of America
The Eighteenth Zionist Congress meets under the shadow of one of the greatest tragedies that has befallen the Jewish people. A substantial branch is being annihilated in Germany. Day by day, we receive additional evidence of ruthless destruction of the means of livelihood of heads of families, of the crushing of body and spirit of the children, and of the extermination of hope for all.
We Zionists have been right. The Jewish problem exists. It needs a permanent solution. Palestine offers the nearest approach to that solution. But it is not enough for us to repeat first principles. The Congress must consider and determine the means of action. We must consider ways and means of absorbing into the integral growing life of Palestine large numbers of German Jews.
In its essense, the problem is not materially different from that which Zionists have faced for years It is more acute. The interest is more widespread. More general support can now be had for the movement to Palestine than before. Thus we can consider today raising the matter to the plane of international discussion, before the League of Nations, we can plan colonization loans for projects on both sides of the Jordan, and large special appeal funds.
In general, however, the question of the settlement of German Jews differs from the usual Zionist approach to Palestine primarily in its urgency. The problems before the coming Congress are, therefore, the usual problems of the development of Palestine. These are political in party and economic in part. Before coming briefly to consider them, I advert to certain aspects of the German immigration, because of their bearing upon Congress problems as a whole.
DO NOT IMPOSE QUALIFICATIONS
In recent discussions certain Zionists have sought to impose limitations upon entrance into Palestine, in addition to the condition that the immigrant be a Jew. German Jews are not wanted, it has been intimated, because it is said they tend to perpetuate the German language, or they are not willing to “sacrifice”, and to be Chalutzim, or for other reasons. In my opinion, there has been too much criticism of the German Jews who have gone to Palestine. This attempt to impose qualifications on the German immigrant is but a phase of recent agitation to impose adjective qualifications generally, such as the proposed limitation of immigrants to those who profess a certain political philosophy, or belong to a certain party. I assert that we Zionists have no moral right to say to a Jew: “You shall not enter Palestine. We do not like your type.” We cannot discriminate as between individual Jews.
The movement has one supreme demand—the maximum number of Jews in Palestine in the shortest space of time. This is the test. Outside of those criteria whi## any society may impose for its ### protection, it is the only test. The Jew who comes to Palestine is welcome regardless of his social status, his religious predilections, or his “isms.” The Jew who comes to Palestine and by his coming makes jobs and room for other Jews, is doubly welcome.
I shall fight any doctrine, or psuedo-doctrine in the shape of post hoc ratiocination designed to accomplish certain personal results. which at the present stage whittles down the full application of the test,—the maximum number of Jews in Palestine in the shortest space of
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.
