Reorganized Zionist Organization Seen As Spur for Revitalizing the Movement

Arye L. Pincus, chairman of the Jewish Agency, predicted today that the re-organized Zionist Organization will bring about a revitalization of the movement and a resumption of its political activities which, he said, were abandoned when the State of Israel was established. Mr. Pincus addressed a meeting of Israeli newspaper editors. He said that large scale activity would be the outcome of the new membership drive and the democratic elections to be held by the various Zionist federations all over the world. He pointed to the establishment for the first time of a Zionist Federation in the United States as an achievement reflecting the stir in Zionist thinking. He said the idea of broadening the membership of Jewish Agency executive would give those helping Israel materially a responsibility for the fate of that nation.

Under the plan outlined at the last Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, every individual Jew will be able to join the Zionist movement and identify with Israel without necessarily belonging to a particular faction. He predicted that the Zionist Federations would ultimately become the representatives of Jewish groups in the various countries. Mr. Pincus thought that Zionist activities among students were the best counter-measure against the anti-Israel activities of the New Left. He said student organizations would participate in the elections to the various Zionist federations and would recruit members among fellow students on the campuses. He said the Zionist movement made a mistake when it abandoned political activities after 1948 because Zionists were cut off from contact with current happenings in Israel. “What we need now is a Zionist movement different from what we have had hitherto and Israel must be an active partner in this movement,” Mr. Pincus concluded.