Canada’s Permission to Sell Israel Bonds Appreciated by Jews

Jewish leaders here today took steps to mobilize Canadian Jewry for the purchase of Israel Government Bonds. Permission for the sale of Israel Bonds has been granted this week by the Foreign Exchange Control authorities at Ottawa.

Appreciation for the act of the Canadian Government was expressed today by Samuel Bronfman, re-elected president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, who said that the State of Israel represents a refreshing oasis of democracy in the Middle East.

The plenary session of the Congress, which concluded here this Monday, reaffirmed the decision of the March Conference for Israel to carry through a four-point program, including Gift Dollars to Israel, the development of Canadian-Israeli trade and the investment by Canadians in Israeli Government bonds in this country. “The Jewish community of Canada is developing this program in order to facilitate the consolidation of Israel and to enable 600,000 additional Jewish immigrants to settle in Israel within the next three years, “Mr. Bronfman said.

Saul Hayes, national executive director of the Congress, who recently visited Israel, said: “Israel is in that category of rather numerous other nations which today require assistance in their re-establishment and the co-operation of their economic planning with their neighboring nations and with other leading governments. Like many such nations, Israel has the long-range potentialities of economic independence and of international stability. But that is the long-range point of view. From the immediate short-range point of view their position is very discouraging unless they are to receive substantial assistance.”

On the question of German restitution to Jews, Mr. Bronfman said it would be inhuman and unjust for the oppressors to be allowed to keep the spoils plundered from their victims, while these victims continued in destitution, and “while the State of Israeli groans on under the burden of refugees hospitalized and impoverished.”