Premier David Ben Gurion, addressing the closing session today of the national conference of the Mapai, the Israel Labor Party, denounced aggression as a method of liberation of one country by another and warned that any country attempting to force its ideology on Israel will find “Israel ready to stand up” with all its traditional moral power and, “if necessary, with its armed forces.”
Emphasizing that the Mapai perty’s chief aims were “peace and independence,” Mr. Ben Gurion said the Jewish state will define its policy on “each world problem according to two criteria–the interest of the state of Israel and the interest of the Jewish people.”
The Israel Premier stressed that the principle “guiding Israel’s foreign policy is fundamental–non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, irrespective of their domestic regimes.”
Earlier, the conference adopted unanimously a series of resolutions upholding the government in its political and economic policies. On the Jewish state’s foreign policy, the conference declared that while “maintaining watchful readiness for the defense of Israel, endeavors whould be made to reach agreement with our neighbors and for the establishment of friendly relations with all peace-loving nations. The delegates also called for “active participation in strengthening world peace through the United Nations.”
ARREST OF ZIONIST LEADERS IN RUMANIA IS CONDEMNED
In other resolutions, the conference delegates expressed full support for the Israel Government’s attitude in upholding the “effective stand of United Nations members against any attempt to disturb world peace” and condemned the arrest of Zionist leaders in Rumania and the release by occupation authorities of convicted Nazi war criminals in Germany.
The delegates also pledged their “loyalty to the government’s independent policy in international affairs,” which it described as “based on the preservation of its complete liberty to determine its attitude in any international issue according to its moral and political principles and its own independent judgment of the vital interests of the state of Israel and of the Jewish people, while at the same time faithfully adhering to the United Nations and supporting all efforts to enhance the U.N.’s authority.”
Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, addressing the Mapai parley, described the “best course to reach the target of mankind’s most adequate status”–which he said constitutes the world’s main conflict today–when he praised the development of “Britain’s democratic Socialism and the attainment of its achievements without bloodshed.”
Mr. Sharett expressed the wish that Pritish Socialism will continue to enjoy success, “despite the bitter and tragic conflict separating England from Israel. The Foreign Minister emphasized that the Jewish state today faces a critical shortage of foreign currency, a wide gap between the level of exports and imports and enormous costs in continuing the large-scale immigration of Jews to Israel and their absorption into the economic life of the country.
These problems, he added, compared with the “meager means available, have prevented Israel from reaching consolidation of the stage of a Socialist society–which is Mapai’s historical objective.”
Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan voiced full confidence in the stability and economic independence of a large population in Israel, which he said will be reached in the next five or ten years. He reiterated his “deep anxiety,” however, over the present “transition period,” which must be met with “mobilization of Israel’s total powers and opportunities.”
Labor Minister Golda Myerson threatened to bring Italian building workers to Israel to accelerate the building of new houses in the Jewish state. Her statement, made at the Mapai conference, of which she is a leading member, provoked a wave of protests among the delegates. She bitterly criticized the building workers in Israel and said that their failures are alowing down the housing construction program and are thus delaying the granting of living accommodations for thousands of immigrants.
Pinhas Lubianiker, Histadrut leader, speaking on behalf of the building workers union, stressed the difficulties confronting the trade and opposed the bringing in of any workers from Italy. He said that the unsatisfactory situation could be remedied by a national conscription of building workers.
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.
