The Orthodox world organization, Agudath Israel, will consent to join the extended Jewish Agency for Palestine only if Article 4 of the Palestine Mandate will be changed to read not that the Zionist Organization is recognized as the Jewish Agency, but that the “Jewish people” is to compose the Agency. This was the statement made at a press conference called by the members of the Executive Committee of the Agudath Israel here. They differ from the Zionists by their recognition of the Diaspora, they declared, adding that against the prayer book text “because of our sins we were exiled from our country” the Balfour Declaration is meaningless.
They are ready to participate in the upbuilding of Palestine only on the condition that the work be carried on in accordance with the Torah. They will be ready to cooperate with other Jewish parties on political and economic questions, but on spiritual questions a fight is inevitable. At the forthcoming session of the organization’s world congress in Vienna, the K’nessioh Gedoloh, proposals will be submitted for the establishment of an Agudah central bank, a fund for Sabbath observers and a fund for dowries for poor girls.
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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.
