Goldmann Predicts Early Ratification of German-israel Pact

The reparations agreements concluded in Luxemburg between the West German Government, Israel and world Jewish organizations will be ratified by the Bonn Parliament “within the next four to six weeks at the latest,” Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish Agency and of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, predicted at a press conference here today on his return from Israel and Germany.

“Returning from a visit to Germany where I again met Chancellor Adenauer and several of his colleagues, I am fully convinced that the implementation of the Luxemburg treaty between Israel and Germany is assured,” Dr. Goldmann stated. “Technical reasons, primarily Germany’s concern to assure a financial cover for the expenditure assumed by Bonn under the settlement agreements with Israel, delayed submission of the Luxemburg treaty to the German Parliament. This will now be done speedily, and my guess is that the treaty will be ratified within the next four or six weeks at the outside. In Israel, preparations are being made for the selection of goods to be ordered in Germany under the Luxemburg treaties. Both the Israel Government and the Jewish Agency have drawn up budgets which take into account this additional revenue, in the form of goods, from Germany.

“I also attended the plenary sessions of the Jewish Agency executive and the Zionist Actions Committee in Jerusalem last month. These meetings were primarily devoted to a discussion of the budget of the Jewish Agency, the largest in its history — over 80 million pounds. More than half of this budget is earmarked for the preparation of new large areas for agricultural cultivation and the settlement on this land of another five thousand families, in addition to 20,000 families which the Jewish Agency has already settled on land since the establishment of the State of Israel.

“The Zionist Actions Committee also has dealt with plans for strengthening the Zionist movement throughout the world. Its main attention was focused, of course, on the American scene. Efforts to introduce greater unification and inter-party effort were begun by the Jewish Agency executive in New York early in 1952. Prime Minister David Ben Gurion took an interest in this problem.

“Last month Mr. Ben Gurion, jointly with Mr. Berl Locker of Jerusalem and myself, as co-chairman of the Jewish Agency, invited leaders of the major American Zionist groups for a conference in Jerusalem. Full agreement was reached on propossals for strengthening the American Zionist Council which is now the co-ordinator of American Zionist public relations. Under the new plan, the American Zionist Council is to become spokesman and co-ordinator of American Zionist activities in additional areas.

“I am glad that the executive of the Zionist Organization of America, at its meeting last Sunday, approved the plan and I am hopeful that the other Zionist groups will very soon do likewise. The implementation of the plan would be greatly beneficial to the Zionist movement and would lead to a closer relationship between the largest democratic Jewish community in the world and Israel.”

Commenting on the recent Prague trials at which Zionism was bitterly attacked, Dr. Goldmann said that “Zionists have never been discouraged by obstacles, frightened by fear, nor dissuaded by persecution.” The aim of Zionism, he said, is to give the Jewish people security from persecution. Dr. Goldmann is scheduled to address the annual national conference of the United Jewish Appeal here on December 13th.