American delegates at the world conference of the Labor Zionist movement, now taking place here, today opposed recommendations for a unified Zionist organization in each country and the designation of the American Zionist Council as the national body unifying all the Zionist organizations in the United States.
The recommendations were made by Eliahu Dobkin, head of the organization department of the Jewish Agency. He proposed a single Zionist organization in each country in which every Jew of 18 or over endorsing Zionist principle would be eligible for membership. He also proposed the establishment of a single “Israel Fund” in each country for all collections for Israel with the exception of the traditional Jewish National Fund collections.
The Jewish National Fund, Mr. Dobkin urged, should continue to operate as an autonomous institution for the acquisition of land in Israel. The Keren Hayesod should act as the trustee for assets owned by the Zionist organizations, he suggested. He said there was no need for a Zionist organization within Israel and the Jewish Agency should formulate adequate proposals to maintain Zionism alive in the country. Mr. Dobkin’s proposal for unification of the national Zionist funds was sharply attacked by Levi Eshkol, treasurer of the Jewish Agency. He urged the establishment of a unified fund directly responsible to the Zionist Organization.
Referring to the legal status sought in Israel by the World Zionist Organization, Mr. Dobkin recommended that the Jewish Agency be granted official recognition as the representative of Jewry abroad in all matters related to cooperation of the Jewish people in the consolidation and development of Israel. The Agency, he said, would be qualified, within the laws of the State of Israel, to deal with immigration, Youth Aliyah, agricultural settlement, land transactions, cooperation in the integration of immigrants and development of the country.
Berl Locker, chairman of the Israel section of the Jewish Agency executive, told the conference that Israel alone could not maintain mass immigration and integration of the newcomers and needed the unconditioned and unlimited partnership of the Zionist movement in this task. He proposed a special status for the World Zionist Movement, but added that if the movement in failed to fulfill its sacred mission” it should then be deprived of this status.
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.
