Dr. Silver Explains Why Dr. Goldmann Was Not Invited to Address Z.O.A. Convention

Dr. Abba Hillel Silver today issued a statement replying to Dr. Nahum Goldmann’s comments yesterday on the refusal of the Zionist Organization of America to invite him to address the recent Atlantic City convention.

“I have noted Dr. Nahum Goldmann’s statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. It is a characteristic bit of distortion,” Dr. Silver said. “The facts are as follows: The executive of the Zionist Organization of America, at its pre-convention session, voted unanimously to have a report of the Paris meeting of the executive of the Jewish Agency presented to the convention. It accordingly invited Mr. Louis Lipsky, who is a member of the Executive and who, unlike Dr. Goldmann, is also an officer of the Zionist Organization of America and a delegate to the convention, to make such a report.

“Subsequently, at the meeting of the political committee of 100 at the convention, a motion to invite also Dr. Goldmann was voted down overwhelmingly. I was not present at this meeting. The few who wished to hear Dr. Goldmann forced the issue to the floor of the convention, where a motion to invite him was tabled by an overwhelming vote. Evidently the convention did not have the same estimate of Dr. Goldmann’s indispensability as he himself had.

“With regard to his complaint about my not calling a special meeting of the executive of the American Zionist Emergency Council to receive his report, I should like to say that the last time Dr. Goldmann was invited to meet with this executive–which was on the occasion of his calamitous mission to Washington–he grievously misinformed the Council; and the unanimous agreements which were reached at that meeting with his concurrence he violated the very next day.

“Dr. Goldmann should not pose as a martyr who has had no opportunity to tell his story. On the very eve of the convention of the Zionist Organization of America he held two press conferences where he fully explained and defended his position, and at one of these, he also indulged in a sustained and violent attack upon me. Dr. Goldmann has spoken–far too much.”