The hardships faced by the State of Israel were outlined tonight by Premier Moshe Sharett, addressing the opening session of the World Union Labor Zionist Conference which is taking place here, The conference was also addressed by former Premier David Ben Gurion, and by Berl Locker, chairman of the Jewish agency executive in Israel. Delegates from 16 countries are attedning the parley.
Premier Sharett said that Israel’s difficulties emerge chiefly from the fact that the Jewish State was established in hostile surroundings in a period of world-wide conflicts, and at a time when a rapprochement between the Western Powers and the Arab states is proceeding at a quicker pace than Arab conciliation with Israel.
The Jewish State needs reinforcement, quantitatively and qualitatively, Mr. Sharett said. The Labor Zionist movement, he declared, would be tested in its possibility to help the inflow of this reinforcement. He pointed out that he does share in the opinion that every individual Zionist must settle in Israel, but that he believes that Zionist organizations in every country would prove their ability and loyalty by their achievements in stimulating emigration to Israel from their countries.
Mr. Ben Gurion stressed in his speech that, today, there is no difference between Zionists and other Jews. If Zionism means mobilization of funds for Israel, and political support for the Jewish State, then all Jews, including those who are not members of the Zionist movement, are now doing the same, he stated. “Those who do not bind their Zionism with immigration to Israel are not Zionists,” he declared. “We must admit the fact that large-scale immigration from Western countries are not expected.” He concluded by stating that the Zionist movement today is “disabled, paralyzed, and empty of any content.”
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.
