Between the Lines

The Zionist Organization of America has started a roll-call movement to enroll no less than 250,000 Jews in the United States as members for the purpose of having a stronger backing in the Zionist grievances against Great Britain.

Very few Jews in the United States are aware of the fact that the American government, though not represented in the League of Nations, is nevertheless a party to the Palestine Mandate by a special treaty. The United States can always have a say in matters concerning the status of Palestine. Though not through the League of Nations, the American Government is in a position to use pressure in the ordinary diplomatic way whenever changes in Palestine are about to take place.

This position of the American government can be utilized greatly in behalf of Jewish interests in Palestine if properly influenced by American Jewry. The larger the number of American Jews backing Jewish interests in Palestine, the greater the pro-Jewish attitude of the American government could be.

AMERICAN INFLUENCE ON ENGLAND

Practice has shown that whenever American Jewry is successful in influencing the State Department to intervene for Jewish interests in Palestine, such intervention is always taken very seriously by the British government. This was the case during the Palestine riots in 1929. This was also the case when Lord Passfield, as Colonial Minister, issued his famous letter which aroused the indignation of Jews all over the world.

The Zionist Organization of America now counts about 20,000 members. This is not sufficient if one considers that there are over 4,000,000 Jews in the United States. Different would be the situation if the present roll-call campaign of the Zionist Organization would raise this membership to 250,000. A quarter of a million Jewish voices in the United States is something to which the American Government will always listen.

THE ANGLO-JEWISH FRICTION

The relations between the British government and the Zionists today, although very smooth on the surface, still leave much to be desired. Despite the millions of dollars which the Jews are bringing into Palestine, the British government is still determined to keep the doors of the country shut to Jewish immigration and to hamper the development of Jewish initiative in Palestine.

Nobody can tell to what results the Jewish grievances against Britain may lead. The mobilization of Jewish forces is therefore something in which every Jew must be interested.

One need not necessarily be a Zionist to feel that Jewish interests in Palestine must be properly protected. One need not be a Zionist to answer the roll call. Every Jew, whether Zionist or non-Zionist, must recognize it as his duty to lend a hand in the efforts which the Zionists are making for Jewish development in Palestine. The thousands of non-Zionists who have recently found refuge in Palestine best substantiate this viewpoint. The roll-call of the Zionist Organization deserves the full-hearted support of every Jew in the United States.