The American Jewish Religious Bloc was sharply rebuked today by Israel Premier David Ben Gurion for intervening in the internal affairs of the Jewish state by taking sides in the conflict with regard to religious education for children in the immigrant camps in Israel.
The Bloc, which includes the Agudas Israel, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, and other religious groups in the United States, was told by Premier Ben Gurion in a cable today that although nobody in Israel wants to deprive any Jew in the world of the right to voice an opinion or criticism with regard to the Jewish state, he was nevertheless surprised to receive a threatening resolution from the Jewish Religious Bloc in America with regard to a “complicated matter, without knowing the facts.”
Affirming that Israel is a democratic republic based upon freedom of conscience and religion, the Premier emphasized in his cable to the American Orthodox group that all matters in the Jewish state are decided by the majority vote of its citizens. No action is taken under pressure of threats but everything is decided on the merits of the case, the cable pointed out. “If you want to influence and to strengthen certain trends, the best way is to come and to settle here. You are all welcome,” the Israel Premier said.
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.
