Sharp differences within the Histadruth, the Palestine Federation of Labor, are expected to be aired here at the Histadruth Conference, which opened today.
The conflict between the Palestine Labor Party, which has a majority within the Histadruth, and the opposition, consisting of the Hashomer Hazair and the “Movement for Labor Unity,” revolve around the following three points.
1 – The Labor Party believes the federation should concentrate at present on problems concerning the life of the Jewish community in general, while the opposition groups feel that the present time should be used to strengthen the Histadruth’s position within the community.
2 – The Labor party favors organization of Palestine workers in national trade unions, along American and British lines, with the Histadruth becoming a central body such as the C. I. O. or A. F. of L. The Hashomer Hazair and the “Movement for Labor Unity” want to preserve the present set-up under which workers are directly affiliated with the Histadruth.
3 – The two groups differ on the problem of educational activity among the Jews in liberated Europe, and have established separate training schools to prepare instructors who will spread their particular viewpoints.
From all indications there will be a long hard struggle before these differences are reconciled, if ever. Davar, the Laborite newspaper, carries an editorial today expressing the hope that the conference will pave the way for unity in the Palestine labor movement.
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.
