Azf Leader Rejects ZOA Attack; Sys Election Procedure Affirms Democracy

Rabbi Israel Miller, president of the American Zionist Federation today strongly defended its plans for a nationwide postal ballot to elect American delegate to the World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. “We categorically reject the attack on the plan” by Herman Weisman, president of the ZOA, Rabbi Miller said in a statement. He noted that the plan was accepted by more than 80 percent of the AZF election committee in which all Zionist organizations are represented, “It offers the entire constituency of 700,000 enrolled American Zionists an opportunity to elect, by secret personal ballot, more than half of the 152 delegates from the United States through a nationwide postal ballot reaching into every corner of the American Jewish community,” Rabbi Miller said.

“It further calls for the election of the balance of the delegates by the organizations in proportion to their verified membership strengths, thus insuring a proper place for Zionist bodies which have played a meaningful role in Zionist endeavors,” Rabbi Miller added. He asserted that “proper conditions and procedures guarantee both the secrecy and honesty of the balloting.” He said these were now being worked out with an independent non-profit election agency of proven integrity and with many years of experience in conducting postal balloting in this country. “The AZF plan, therefore, is not a ‘travesty of democracy’ as Mr. Weisman contends; it is rather an affirmation of democracy,” Rabbi Miller said.

He continued, “Mr. Weisman, as is his right, has brought his complaint to the Zionist Congress Tribunal and it would therefore not be proper for me to comment on a matter before that body. But I am dismayed that he issued his statement after receiving a message from Mr. Louis Pincus, chairman of the World Zionist Executive. calling on the ZOA to ‘ensure that despite all present differences, the fundamental and substantial unity of the parties will be maintained in this crucial hour.’ Mr. Pincus also noted that the issues are now before the Congress Tribunal, but stated that he considered many of the ZOA’s allegations to be ‘inaccurate and contrary to the facts,'” Rabbi Miller said.

He concluded: “As president of the AZF, it is my hope that the forthcoming elections will serve to enhance the ideological and educational dimensions of our Zionist life and activity, for it is they which give meaning to our movement. I trust they will also insure broad public participation in the selection of delegates to the January, 1972 Congress which will initiate the 75th anniversary year of the World Zionist Movement–and set a much needed example of participatory democracy for all organized Jewish life both nationally and in the communities across the country.”