Dr. Goldmann to Decide Next Month Whether He Will Settle in Israel

Dr. Nahum Goldmann told a press conference here today that he would decide at the end of next month whether he will settle in Israel to take up Israeli citizenship and become active in the new Liberal party being organized by the merger of the Progressives and the General Zionists.

Dr. Goldmann said that he warmly welcomed plans for the Liberal party and expressed the hope that there would be mergers among other parties. He stressed that such reduction of the splintering political scene in Israel was most desirable. The president of the World Zionist Organization expressed hope that the establishment of the Liberal party would influence the reunion of the two competing General Zionist Confederations.

Explaining the postponement of a decision on his personal plans until after the session of the Zionist Actions Committee, scheduled for April 26 in Israel, Dr. Goldmann said he would have to study the effect of a decision to become active in Israeli politics on his positions as president of the World Jewish Congress and chairman of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Dr. Goldmann said he saw good chances for settling the question of the Jewish Agency chairmanship in New York by either rotation of the post or by having only an acting chairman with himself as chairman. He expressed the hope that former Premier Moshe Sharett would accept the chairmanship in Jerusalem or that he would at least continue as top coordinator and presiding member of the Agency executive.

The world Zionist leader said that he hoped to reach an agreement on the composition of the new Agency executive in Jerusalem without special difficulties, possibly before his departure next week for the United Jewish Appeal Consolidation Loan Conference in New York. The conference, he said, will decide on converting separate loans of more than 50 Jewish communities into a single $65,000,000 consolidation loan.