Dr. Neumann Describes Actions Committee Session As ‘productive’

Dr. Emanuel Neumann, chairman of the Jewish Agency-American Section today described the meetings of the Zionist Actions Committee, held recently in Jerusalem, as “forward-looking and productive. ” In a statement issued following his return from Jerusalem he listed some of the positive results as follows:

1) The Actions Committee discharged its primary responsibility by electing a new executive for the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency; 2) For the first time in many years the new executive includes two Herut Party representatives (Zionist Revisionists) thereby resolving the crisis which prevented the election of a new executive at the last Zionist Congress; 3) The Actions Committee also approved, almost without opposition, the election to the executive of six additional members ad personam, on a non-party basis, thus relaxing to that extent the rigors of the party system; It also conferred full voting status to M. Narboni, as a representative of the Sephardi Community.

Dr. Neumann also emphasized that the new executive was authorized, in conjunction with the praesidium of the Actions Committee, to coopt a limited number of additional members on a non-party basis. He pointed out that the Zionist Commission on Reorganization, already established to deal with the structure of the Zionist Movement, was encouraged to proceed with its exploration of the problem and make its final recommendations, including possible modifications or changes, in time to be acted upon at the next Zionist Congress.

“A number of important resolutions recommended by the political committee were adopted expressing the position of the Zionist Movement on current issues, including the problem of Soviet Jewry, ” he stressed. “A recommendation was also made to the incoming executive to extend the scope of its Department on External Affairs, or to set up a new department equipped to deal more fully with such problems. ” Considerable attention was given to the problem of Western Aliyah and the special problems of absorption and integration of such settlers, in the future, he reported.

“So far as the United States is concerned, the American Section of the executive has been enlarged by the addition of four well-known and distinguished persons, with full voting rights: Mr. Dewey Stone, Dr. Joseph Schwartz, Dr. Simon Greenberg and Dr. Emanuel Rackman. A fifth is still to be added. Personally I warmly welcome these new members, who will add strength to our executive and by their counsel and participation, make further contributions to the advancement of the Zionist cause,” Dr. Neumann stated.