Zionist Official Says Zionism Failed to Cope with Crisis in World Jewry

The younger leadership department of the World Zionist Organization is to convene a world emergency conference of young Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, department head Uri Gordon announced, here. He was addressing a meeting of younger Zionist leaders, representing all parties, at the British Zionist Federation headquarters.

He dwelt on the failure of the organized Zionism to cope with the present crisis in world Jewry: “We denounce the enemies of Zionism and wear I’m a Zionist’ badges, but no one pays attention to the weariness of the World Zionist Organization and to its detachment from Jewish life,” Gordon said, He cited two examples of the failure of the present set-up in organized Zionism to perform its proper function. One was that “not even one percent of the half-million Jewish students in American universities have ever come to Israel even in its darkest hours.” The other was that “only 70 percent of 3,000 British volunteers who went to Israel in unofficially-sponsored schemes in the past year were Jewish.”

Gordon charged that many excellent young people were ready to work for Zionism in Britain and elsewhere “but they are kept out of the established set-up.” He warned that “unless there is a radical shake-up” in this set-up “Zionist work will continue in its present doldrums.” Gordon spoke of the partnership between young Jews in the diaspora and young Israelis, and together he hoped they might effect change inside Israel.