A Week’s Events in Review

Is a World Jewish Congress necessary?

This issue, which is keenly watched by many Jewish communities aboard, for whom the Congress is chiefly intended, was clarified this week, when the American Jewish Committee and the B’nai B’rith, the two leading American-Jewish organizations, definitely rejected the offer of the American Jewish Congress to join the movement for the convocation of a World Jewish parley.

Both the American Jewish Committee and the B’nai B’rith are cooperating with the American Jewish Congress in a Joint Council comprising representatives of these three organizations, which confers on all matters common to Jewish interests.

In the question of convoking a World Jewish Congress, these two organizations do not, however, see their way to join the movement for many reasons, chief of which is that such a congress may bring more harm than good.

DISAGREE ON CONGRESS AS PROPER BODY

Those who are acquainted with the serious position of the Jews in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the Balkan and Baltic states, would perhaps approve of the well-intentioned movement for the establishment of a central world body to fight for Jewish rights. They would, however, hesitate to agree that this institution should necessarily be a congress. Much better results could perhaps be achieved if this projected body were created in the form of an international Jewish committee dealing with Jewish problems silently, without the noise which a congress usually provokes. Such an international body could consist of representatives of the existing central Jewish organizations and could be formed along the same lines as the Advisory Council to James G. MacDonald, the League’s High Commissioner for Refugees from Germany.

SEE LITTLE HOPE FOR PARLEY IN 1935

With the American Jewish Committee rejecting the idea of a World Jewish Congress, it is difficult to believe that this project will be reached in 1935 as scheduled. In addition to the outspokenly negative attitude taken by the non-Zionists in leading organizations throughout the world, the Zionist attitude towards a world congress is also less than favorable. Certain elements in the Zionist movement are afraid that the world Jewish congress may develop competition to the World Zionist Congress. They would, therefore, not like to see another world Jewish body established. Especially since this new body could claim to be the representative all-world Jewish organization.

Opposed by both the Zionists and the non-Zionists, the idea of a World Jewish Congress hardly stands a chance. The situation becomes even more complicated when considering that in most of the European countries democratic elections to a World Jewish Congress are absolutely impossible.

SITUATION IN POLAND, AUSTRIA GROWS WORSE

While the pros and cons of the World Jewish Congress are being discussed, the situation of the Jews in Poland and in Austria is growing more and more catastrophic and this week reached the point where it overshadowed even the Jewish situation in Germany.

In Austria a new trade law went into effect this week depriving 10,000 Jewish salesmen and peddlers and their families of their livelihood, by forbidding them to call on customers to take orders. This wholesale blow to Jewish traders is one of the many which are undermining the Jewish economic existence in a quiet but most efficient manner. Similar laws were promulgated only a few weeks ago, making it impossible for Jews to open any enterprise, whether commercial or artisan.

With the process of segregating Jewish school children completed, the dismissal of Jewish doctors from municipal institutions in Austria continued this week, the number of dismissed Jewish doctors now totalling more than 300.

PROTEST ON VISAS HELD JUSTIFIED

It is, therefore, no wonder that the Jews of Austria now consider their position worse than that of the Jews in Germany. This was pointed out this week in a protest which they sent to the Palestine Executive of the Jewish Agency. In this protest the Zionist Federation of Austria complains that the number of immigration certificates for Palestine granted for Austrian Jews by the Executive is altogether too small in view of the desperate position of Austrian Jewry. The Federation considers it unfair that the Executive. allocating 1,250 immigration certificates for German Jews, has given no more than 117 immigration certificates for the Jews of Austria. This number is even smaller than the number of certificates granted to each of such small countries as Latvia, Lithuania and Czechoslovakia.

A similar complaint was addressed to the Palestine Executive from Poland, where the situation of the Jews is becoming more and more unbearable.

ROTTENSTREICH’S SPEECH BEFORE SEJM

Addressing the Polish Parliament this week, Dr. Rottenstreich, one of the Jewish deputies, gave a heartbreaking picture of the Jewish situation in Poland which surpassed even the one given a few weeks ago by Dr. Joshua Thon. While Dr. Thon stated in general that a million Polish Jews have been degraded to beggary. Dr. Rottenstreich, one of the best economists in Poland, went into details to impress upon the Polish Parliament a more concrete picture of Jewish despair.

Dr. Rottenstreich said that in most of the cities in Poland sixty per cent of the Jewish population is compelled to apply for charity. Even in such a large city; as Lwow fifty per cent of the Jews are starving. In Warsaw, he said, every fourth Jew is reduced to beggary and in Lodz and other industrial cities the proportion of destitute Jews is even larger.

SOME FOR BUREYA, MOST FOR PALESTINE

Exposed to hunger and starvation, the Polish Jews are seeking their way, on one side to Palestine and on the other to Biro-Bidjan. The number of Polish Jews ready to migrate to Biro-Bidjan is today quite large, while those desiring to go to Palestine can be counted in hundreds of thousands.

In Palestine, the situation became somewhat complicated this week when the government granted immigration certificates for Arabs from Syria and Egypt to enter Palestine for permanent residence and labor. This is the first such instance and sets a precedent for legal entry of Arabs from neighboring countries with the intention of becoming citizens of Palestine. This precedent, if converted into a permanent feature in the immigration program of the Palestine government, will mean that the Palestine administration intends not to permit the Jews ever to become a majority in Palestine. It may also lead to the legalization of Arabs who enter the country illegally.

64,000 ARABS ENTERED ILLEGALLY

Should the last be the case, the population of Palestine may be increased by at least 60,000 new Arab citizens. Figures compiled on the illegal immigration of Arabs to Palestine show that not less than 64,000 Arabs have entered Palestine illegally from Syria, from the Sinal desert and from other neighboring countries.

Another anti-Jewish feature in the policy of the Palestine government was registered this week when the government approved a special loan for Transjordan from the surplus which Palestine has acquired chiefly from Jewish income. The news of this loan came as a surprise to those who know that the Palestine government has never been keen on issuing loans for Jewish interests.

Only recently the municipality of Tel Aviv, in need of a loan, had to obtain this loan from London financiers. Similarly the Jewish Agency obtained a loan this week, but not from the Palestine government.

SEE FURTHER CONCESSIONS

The exception which the Palestine government has made in granting a loan to Transjordan, coupled with the issuance of visas to Arabs from Syria and Egypt, is indicative of the liberal policy which the Palestine government has now adopted towards the Arabs. It gives ground to believe that the Palestine government has up its sleeve some further concessions for Arabs, of which the Jewish world will probably soon learn.

The new loan obtained by the Jewish Agency this week is for $2,500,000, repayable within fifteen years at four per cent interest. It was granted by the Lloyd Bank of London and will be used to consolidate the outstanding debts of the Keren Hayesod and the Palestine Executive.

Though the loan could be considered one of the best achievements for Palestine, it was nevertheless received in Palestine with mixed feelings. While many hailed the loan as a sign of recognition of the stability of Palestine, certain groups, including general Zionists and Mizrachists, have expressed the opinion that the present Zionist Executive had no right to mortgage the incomes of the Keren Hayesod and its properties for a period of fifteen years, since this will create difficulties for the Executives to be elected later.