Israel Labor Leaders Confer with Premier Ben Gurion on Cooperation with Jewish Agency

Leaders of the Mapai, Israel’s Labor Party, conferred with Premier David Ben Gurion, leader of the party, on the question of establishing “real productive cooperation” between the Israel Government and the Jewish Agency in the light of the demands which Agency leaders are advancing at the current session of the Zionist Actions Committee here.

It is reported that Premier Ben Gurion favors the existence of a strong Zionist organization throughout the world, but is reluctant to agree to the Agency carrying on separate work in Israel. Mr. Ben Gurion will make public his attitude in an address which he is expected to deliver at the Action Committee session.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Golda Myerson, the only woman member in the Israel Cabinet, told the Actions Committee that there is no rift between the World Zionist Organization and the Israel Government. The main problem, she said, is to find the shortest and most efficient way to coordinate the work of both.

There are two alternatives facing all Jews now, Mrs. Myerson said: Either live in Israel and simultaneously contribute money to assist the bringing into the Jewish state of Jewish immigrants; or, stay outside and financially enable the Jewish state to discharge its obligations toward the Zionist tasks on a decent scale. The task of the World Zionist Organization at present is to identify every willing Jew with Israel, she added.

Mrs. Myerson emphasized that “dangers graver than those before the outbreak of the war face the Jewish state at present.” She stressed that these are “actual military dangers besides the economic difficulties necessitating a united effort on the part of world Jewry. She ridiculed the idea that separate budgets be maintained by the Israel Government and the Jewish Agency for the absorption of immigrants in the Jewish state.

Z.O.A. DELEGATE AND DR. GRUENBAUM DIFFER ON EMIGRATION OF U.S. JEWISH YOUTH

Zalman Ahronowitz, leader of the Mapai, acknowledged the possibilities which the World Zionist Organization has in mobilizing Jews outside of Israel for assistance to the Jewish state. However, he demanded the liquidation of the Jewish National Fund, declaring that “the program of the Israel Government contains nationalization of land and 90 percent of the land in Israel is now in government possession. It would be absurd to maintain a separate J.N.F. for world Jewry with 2,000,000 dunams of land, after having nationalized 18,000,000,000 dunams,” he said.

Unconditional continuation of the world Zionist movement was demanded at the session by Baruch Zuckerman, American Labor Zionist, and Dr. Itzhak Gruenbaum. The latter warned American Jews that Israel will take their children to build, defend, enlarge and strengthen the Jewish state. To this the American delegate, Dr. S. Margoshes, replied: “We will give you our children, but you have first to create suitable conditions for them.” He emphasized that “Chaluziut” is not identical with “Kibbutziut.”

Dr. I. Showarzbart, American General Zionist, urged the enlargement of the Jewish Agency and recommended more cooperation with the non-Zionists. He suggested that the Basle program advocating political Zionism be replaced by the program of cultural Zionism advocated by the Zionist philosopher, Achad Haam.

Dr. Israel Goldstein, addressing the session, insisted that the World Zionist Organization must be maintained and that “there are no second-class Jews in the work of the upbuilding of Israel.” He also insisted that “there cannot be any separation between the World Zionist Organization and the Israel Government.” Rabbi Zeev Gold, Mizrachi leader, defended the sovereignty of the Zionist movement.