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Laborites Confer on Ben-gurion Threat to Quit Agency Executive

August 24, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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AMERICAN NON-ZIONISTS, LED BY FELIX M. WARBURG, NEW YORK BANKER, LEFT FOR HOME YESTERDAY EXPRESSING SATISFACTION WITH THE RESULTS OF THE FIFTH BIENNIAL SESSION OF THE JEWISH AGENCY COUNCIL.

THE HARMONY IN WHICH THE SESSION CLOSED WAS THREATENED BY THE STATEMENT OF DAVID BEN-GURION, PALESTINE LABORITE LEADER, THAT HE INTENDED TO RESIGN FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN WHAT WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE A PROTEST AGAINST ADDING TWO NON-ZIONISTS TO MAKE THE RATIO FIVE NON-ZIONISTS TO SEVEN ZIONISTS.

ALTHOUGH THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE–MRS. ROSE JACOBS OF NEW YORK, PRESIDENT OF HADASSAH, AMERICAN WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, AND DR. ARTHUR RUPPIN OF JERUSALEM–ARE THEMSELVES ZIONISTS, THEY WERE ELECTED AS INDEPENDENTS, AND BEN-GURION IS KNOWN TO OPPOSE IN PRINCIPLE ANY INCREASE IN NON-ZIONIST REPRESENTATION IN THE EXECUTIVE.

LABOR ZIONIST GROUPS, COMPRISING ALMOST HALF OF THE ZIONIST STRENGTH, REMAINED IN ZURICH AND DISCUSSED IN CAMERA THE SITUATION CREATED BY THEIR LEADER’S THEREAT TO RESIGN FROM THE AGENCY EXECUTIVE.

DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE AGENCY AND THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, BEFORE LEAVING FOR LONDON, TO EMPHASIZE HIS SATISFACTION WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE SESSIONS, WIRED GREETINGS TO MR. WARBURG BEFORE THE LATTER’S DEPARTURE. IN LONDON DR. WEIZMANN WILL PRESENT TO THE BRITISH COLONIAL OFFICE THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AND WILL ORGANIZE THE POLITICAL WORK OF THE AGENCY ALONG THE LINES OF THE RESOLUTIONS.

MEMBERS OF THE AGENCY’S ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE WHO WERE ELECTED INCLUDE PROF. HERBERT SPEYER OF BELGIUM, CHAIRMAN; BERL LOCKER OF JERUSALEM, ASSOCIATE CHAIRMAN, AND VANDENBERGH OF HOLLAND.

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