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Ben Gurion Reviews Political Situation at Meeting of Palestine Body

December 8, 1939
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The Small Actions Committee, comprising Palestine members of the Zionist General Council, met today to consider problems of the Jewish homeland arising from the war.

A communique on the conference said that David Ben Gurion, chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive, reported on the political situation since the outbreak of the war. The debate was not concluded and will be resumed at the next session, which will be held in a week to ten days, according to Menachem M. Ussishkin, who presided, and will consider economic and organizational, as well as political matters.

At today’s session, Ussishkin spoke of the tragedy of Polish Jewry and eulogized Siegfried van Vriesland, late manager of the Tel Aviv port and Zionist leader.

Leib Jaffe, director of the Palestine Foundation Fund, told a press conference today that Palestine Jewry “has gathered all its strength to preserve what has been created and continue the upbuilding, not only for themselves but for the entire Jewish nation.”

“Our functions, which have always been like those of a State, have grown out of all proportion”, Jaffe said. “The Keren Hayesod (Palestine Foundation Fund) has been pressed to furnish the means for speedy and effective aid, such as receiving immigrants, combating unemployment, protecting industry, consolidating the 54 settlements established since the beginning of the disturbances, continuing political work and maintaining security. The Keren Hayesod has collected, in 19 years, ¤ 7,300,000. Last year was a record with ¤ 627,000 net.”

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