Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

[The purpose of the Digest is informative: Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation goes not indicate approval.–Editor.]

That the American Zionists must be given a larger share in the leadership of World Zionism in order to preserve the integrity of the World Zionist Organization, which is “gradually disintegrating into parties and factions,” is the statement made by the “New Palestine,” organ of the American Zionists, in its April 16 issue, which will appear today.

The editorial, headed “Let The Heathen Rage,” is in the nature of a statement of the position of the American Zionists in regard to the present situation in the Zionist movement. The “New Palestine” resents the attitude of the London “Jewish Chronicle” toward Mr. Lipsky’s recent assertion that American Zionists want fuller participation in the leadership of the movement and denounces the London “Jewish World,” which, we are told, “sees in the overshadowing presence of American Zionism the potential dictator of Zionist policy” and which seeks “to create prejudices” between the Zionists of Europe and the Zionists of America.

Mr. Lipsky’s reasons for demanding fuller leadership for American Zionism, are explained as follows:

“To stabilize the movement, and to place behind Dr. Weizmann, the acknowledged leader of the Organization, the intellectual as well as the moral strength of the Zionist Organization of America, it became necessary, in Mr. Lipsky’s opinion, for American Zionists to participate more fully in the responsibilities of the leadership. If there are programs to be made, or policies to be devised the Zionists of America should not also be consulted, but they should be allowed to take the initiative. They should not always be the seconders of motions made by others, but also movers of motions on their own account and responsibility.

“It was not arrogance that dictated this statement. It was not an expression of great ambition on the part of American Zionists. This analysis of the situation, and the conclusion drawn from it, was dictated by a keen concern for the future of the Zionist Organization, was animated by a deep sense of responsibility. For what do we see going on in the Zionist movement? The Organization is gradually disintegrating into parties and factions. The factional spirit can scarcely be controlled. There are groups of Zionists, organized as parties, who are so engrossed in their party slogans and programs that they are willing to destroy anything that stands in the way of the assertion of their party rights.

“This is a state of affairs which we dare not allow to continue. It absorbs a larger part of our energies. It makes impossible the development of policies by any administration; for these same parties and factions appear at all Zionist councils and create the same difficult situation on every occasion. Government is elected, but Government is not permitted to rule. The Administration does not know where to find the authority whence will come a steady and certain, broad-minded and clear-visioned continuous support.

“This situation has produced the weakness of the Weizmann administration, not of Dr. Weizmann personally. The herculean labors of Dr. Weizmann himself have not been able to change the situation.

“This is a frank statement of the attitude of American Zionists. It represents the truth of the situation. If any charge could be levelled against us, it is that we have been animated altogether too much by the spirit of humility and self-abnegation. To vulgarize the situation is an offense of the highest magnitude. To reduce it to dissatisfaction with Dr. Weizmann’s leadership is to misunderstand, first, the relations existing between Dr. Weizmann and the American Zionist leadership, and, second, to underestimate the intellectual and moral calibre of Dr. Weizmann himself. We have given effective support to Dr. Weizmann at Zionist Congresses in his effort to establish a homogeneous Executive, and in all his struggles with factions. But if he is to be held in his position as President of an Organization worthy of the name, capable of making progress, an instrument with the ability to establish the Jewish National Home, our support must be given to him in such a form as to remove the possibility of a collapse which will affect him personally as leader, as well as the future of the Zionist movement. To free him for service untrammeled by unreasonable obstacles from within, to enable him to labor with a sense of secure support behind him, to liberate his mind from the worries and embarrassments that come with a weakened and confused Organization, is our object, and we have positive assurances that in pursuing this object we have Dr. Weizmann’s unreserved personal approval.”

The American Zionists, the “New Palestine” declares, refuse further to engage merely in the task of gathering funds without participating “upon a basis of equality in this readjustment.”

“We represent one-fourth of the World Zionist Organization,” the paper concludes. “It is a bit of silliness, as well as unfairness, to imagine that we shall allow the fact that we are bearing the financial burden for the past ten years to debar us from any field of Zionist endeavor or responsibility. We are not going to allow ourselves to be penalized for our single-minded devotion to our financial responsibilities. We are sure that the Zionists of Europe do not share the prejudices or the views of the “Jewish World” in its absurd attempt to create prejudices between us and them.”