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Ben-gurion Arrives Here for Visit; Non-zionists Return from Zurich

September 5, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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DAVID BEN-GURION, PALESTINE LABORITE LEADER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JEWISH AGENCY EXECUTIVE, ARRIVED HERE ON THE BERENGARIA TODAY FOR WHAT HE TERMED A BRIEF “PRIVATE VISIT.”

AMERICAN NON-ZIONISTS ALSO RETURNED FROM THE JEWISH AGENCY COUNCIL SESSION IN ZURICH. A STATEMENT ISSUED ON BEHALF OF FELIX M. WARBURG, SOLOMON LOWENSTEIN, DR. MAURICE J. KARPF AND JOSEPH C. HYMAN SAID:

“WHEN WE SAILED ON AUGUST II WE STATED THAT OUR PURPOSE WAS TO TRY TO PERSUADE THE COUNCIL OF THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE TO DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO PREVENT IMPLEMENTATION IN PALESTINE OF A JEWISH STATE; THAT IN ITS PLACE EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO BRING ABOUT AN UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE JEWS AND ARABS IN PALESTINE SO THAT THEY WOULD LIVE IN PEACEFUL UNDERSTANDING WITH EACH OTHER AS NEIGHBORS.

“SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD CONFERENCES IN PARIS, IN ZURICH AND IN LONDON AND WE THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL THAT THE RESOLUTIONS IN THEIR CHANGED FORM, AS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE COUNCIL OF THE JEWISH AGENCY, WILL SHOW THE WORLD GENERALLY AND THE ARABS IN PARTICULAR THAT WE ARE IN EARNEST IN TRYING TO REACH AN UNDERSTANDING AROUND THE TABLE IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL SUGGEST SUCH A CONFERENCE WHICH WILL BRING THE TWO GROUPS TOGETHER.”

LOUIS LIPSKY, ANOTHER PASSENGER, WHO HEADED THE AMERICAN DELEGATION AT THE ZIONIST CONGRESS, IN A STATEMENT SAID: “THE JEWS OF AMERICA MAY BE RELIED UPON TO COOPERATE IN LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PROPOSED JEWISH STATE.”

OTHERS ON BOARD INCLUDED BENJAMIN WINTER AND OTHER DELEGATES TO THE CONGRESS OF POLISH JEWS AT ANTWERP LAST MONTH. THEY STATED: “WHILE GREAT INTEREST AND SYMPATHETIC COOPERATION HAS BEEN SHOWN IN THE PLIGHT OF THE POLISH JEWS BY WORLD JEWRY AND THEIR DEMOCRATIC-MINDED FRIENDS, THEIR PRESENT WRETCHED CONDITION DEMANDS EVEN GREATER ATTENTION. MORE RELIEF AID IS URGENTLY NECESSARY. FAMINE DAILY INCREASES AMONG THE JEWS IN POLAND AND A TERRIFYING INSECURITY HAUNTS THEIR VISIONS OF TOMORROW.”

A $100,000 FUND FOR PURCHASE OF A TRACT FOR COLONIZATION IN PALESTINE TO BE NAMED AFTER VICE-PREMIER LEON BLUM OF FRANCE WILL BE SOUGHT BY A COMMITTEE REPRESENTING AMERICAN JEWISH ORGANIZED LABOR, RABBI ISRAEL GOLDSTEIN, PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND OF AMERICA, ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY ON HIS RETURN ABOARD THE CHAMPLAIN FROM ZURICH.

WHILE IN PARIS ON HIS WAY TO THE CONGRESS, DR. GOLDSTEIN SAID, HE RECEIVED M. BLUM’S ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFER TO GIVE THE SITE HIS NAME AND THE FRENCH STATESMAN’S ASSURANCE OF HIS DEEP INTEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME IN PALESTINE. GREAT BRITAIN’S PROPOSAL TO PARTITION PALESTINE, WITH ITS ATTENDANT LIMITATION OF JEWISH LAND PURCHASES, IS NOT EXPECTED TO PLACe ANY OBSTACLE IN THE WAY OF THE PROJECT; DR. GOLDSTEIN ADDED, BECAUSE THE SITE WILL BE SELECTED IN THAT PORTION OF PALESTINE WHICH IS “INDISPUTABLY JEWISH.”

THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PROJECT IS HEADED BY MAX ZARITSKY, WITH DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN AND ABRAHAM CAHAN AS HONORARY CHAIRMEN. LATER, DR. GOLDSTEIN SAID, THE PROJECT MAY BE MADE AN INTERNATIONAL ONE, WITH COMMITTEES ORGANIZED ABROAD.

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