Fishman, Dissatisfied with “new Palestine” United Front Editorial, Defends Special Convention; Asks

Last week’s editorial in the “New Palestine,” official organ of the Zionist organization of America, about a united front in American Zionism, does not find favor with Jacob Fishman, who writes in Sunday’s “Jewish Morning Journal” that the editorial is too long-winded and too harsh in its tone. Fishman also defends the Jewish press against the criticism of it contained in the editorial for discussing in public all the fine ponts in the controversy between various factions and personalities in American Zionism.

Defending his proposal for a special Zionist convention, Fishman says:

“Too many rumors have been spread recently that the present Zionist administration itself stands in the way of a united front. When Rabbi Newman spread the report in a dozen Anglo-Jewish weeklies that Lipsky is blocking the way to cooperation with the Mack-Brandeis group, he only repeated what others have been spreading very energetically.

“Lipsky has denied the report, but it doesn’t help. One must admit that there are still people who believe that Lipsky and some others of the administration stand in the way of a united front. On top of that, De Haas has come along with more or less concrete proposals. He wants the whole administration to resign even before a convention. There is quibbling now in the Jewish press over whom de Haas represents. There is a rumor that de Haas boasted already to several people that he has in his pocket a letter from Justice Brandeis, in which the Justice approves of his attitude.

“Under those circumstances I think it is high time that the Zionist organization, as well as all organized Zionists in America, should take an attitude towards these matters. Two things must be cleared up here.

“First, is it true that the present Zionist leaders are determined to hold on to their offices, even when it is a question of the best interests of Zionism, and refuse to cooperate with the Mack-Brandeis group, as Rabbi Newman and others claim? It doesn’t matter that we know it isn’t true. The public must be absolutely convinced through absolute proof, through action, and not only through editorials.

“In the second place we must react to de Haas’s concrete proposals, for it can hardly be believed that de Haas here stated only his own opinion. Anyway, none of the Brandeis group has as yet denied that this is their platform.

“And no matter how indignant the Zionist organization may be privately at this dictatorial proposal, I believe nevertheless that it cannot be settled through an editorial. After all there may be one-tenth of a possibility that de Haas is right, that the whole Zionist administration should before everything else make way. Perhaps a majority of American Zionists is of the opinion that every sacrifice is worth while as long as it offers the least chance that the Mack-Brandeis group will assume the leadership.

“If it is difficult to call a special convention, there should at least be called immediately a special session of the National Executive for this purpose only. The air must be cleared before the coming convention. Public opinion should be convinced once and for all that offices and personal ambitions are not in the way of a united Zionist front in America.

“As to the Zionist parties within, like the Mizrachi and the radical groups, I believe that they too should join the united front, without sacrificing any of their principles.”