The conference of the Palestine Labor party was concluded at Hedera today with ninety-four voting against ratification of the peace agreement signed by Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky in London and ninety voting for ratification.
The final decision on ratification was left entirely to a conference of the Histadruth, the Federation of Labor. After the Histadruth decides whether or not to approve of the peace agreement with Jabotinsky, the Palestine Labor party will again assemble to take a final stand on the question.
APPEALS FOR APPROVAL
David Ben-Gurion, who signed the agreement with Jabotinsky, urged the conference to ratify it. Ratification, he said, may compel Jabotinsky to recognize the discipline within the ranks of the Zionist party and to submit to this discipline.
“Our present conference,” Mr. Ben-Gurion declared, “is one of the most important gatherings concerned with the fate of the Jewish people. The peaceful up building of Palestine depends upon our decision. Should the agreement with Jabotinsky not be ratified, it will mean the resumption of disturbances which will spell harm for our up building work, internally as well as externally.
AGREES ON CHANGES
“I agree that certain alterations in the texts of the agreement should be introduced by the conference, but the spirit of the agreement must remain, because it is the only way to save our Palestine work from hopeless confusion,” Mr. Ben-Gurion pleaded.
David Remez, another Labor leader, suggested that a standing committee of twenty delegates be formed to effect a compromise in the text of the agreement upon which both wings could agree. After repeated rejections and heated debates which lasted the entire day, the conference elected a committee of twenty-four, equally representing both wings. The committee also included Ben-Gurion, Remez and Joseph Sprinzak.
A night session was held by the committee, which lasted until early this morning and which resulted in the vote referring the final decision to the Histadruth.
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