Abolition of Zionist Party Structure Opposed at Actions Committee

Dr. Nahum Goldmann’s proposal before the World Zionist Actions Committee meeting to abolish the Zionist party framework was opposed today by other Zionist leaders.

“The Zionist parties are the product of a historical crystallization and cannot merely be swept off the map,” said Moshe Sharett, chairman of the Jewish Agency executive. “They have a mission to fulfill. Remove the parties and the mission will not be fulfilled.” He admitted, however, that if the parties intended to meet their goals, “old leadership” had to start making way for the young generation.

Mrs. Rose Halprin, chairman of the American section of the Jewish Agency, noted that Hadassah, of which she is a former president, and the Halprin-Goldstein faction of the World General Zionist movement both were opposed to aspects of the Zionist party system. However, she added, that stand was “a far cry from saying that there should be no organizations along philosophical and ideological lines.”

Citing Dr. Goldmann’s frequently reiterated contention that American Jewish life at best was “organized chaos,” she retorted that, the American Jewish community had “no desire to set up monolithic groups with great control at the top.” She added the opinion that the Zionist movement had to take its position as a movement in the American local Jewish community, “something we have never done.”