The launching of a $5,000,000 Israel Histadrut campaign in the United States was endorsed here last night following an all-day session of the national cabinet of the campaign attended by 200 leaders of the National Committee for Labor Israel.
W. Averell Harriman, who was one of the principal speakers at the session, said that with the passing of the emergency immigration period Israel “is facing the second phase in its development” which contains many acute economic problems that requires the substantial aid of the United States. Pointing out that the difficulties “are accentuated by the embargo and blockade against Israel by the Arab states,” the former Mutual Security Administrator declared that “ways and means must be found to end the hostile attitudes which now exist.” He lauded the “constructive and essential role” played by Histadrut, the half-million member labor federation of Israel.
Dr. Leon Keyserling, leading American economist, referred to the recent suggestions that “Histadrut should get out of business, ” and pointed out that the Histadrut, and its enterprises, “has played, is continuing to play and will continue to play an important, useful, vital, necessary and desirable role in the economy of Israel. ” It was impossible, he said, to attach a label to Israel’s economy, which was a mixed and experimental one.
(In Tel Aviv, the executive board of the Histadrut last night considered the statement by Henry Morgenthau, Jr., calling upon the Histadrut to get out of private industry in Israel. After the meeting, the Histadrut executive issued a statement to the effect that the organization would continue its “constructive economic activities.”)
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
