Dr. Nahum Goldmann’s proposal making possible the affiliation of Jewish bodies with the World Zionist Organization was adopted here tonight by an overwhelming vote, at the closing session of the ten-day meeting of the Zionist Actions Committee. The Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi abstained on the vote.
Dr. Goldmann, as president of the World Zionist Organization. and the executive of the Jewish Agency, were empowered to conduct negotiations with other Jewish bodies prepared to accept the Zionist program, and to bring recommendations on such affiliation to the next World Zionist Congress or the next meeting of the Actions Committee. The recommendations are to include arrangements for the new affiliates to participate in the Congress and the Actions Committee.
Emphasizing that immigration to Israel and its absorption are the central tasks of the Zionist movement, the Actions Committee, in another resolution, approved plans to intensify immigration efforts from all countries. The resolution provides that a plan for immigration from Western and Asian countries should be developed and that the Jewish Agency Immigration Department should study the possibilities of immigration wherever a Jewish community exists, particularly where there are only small communities in existence.
To integrate immigrants in development areas in Israel, another resolution called for full employment opportunities, by the setting up of industrial and handicraft enterprises. The resolution also instructed the Jewish Agency absorption department to continue to direct immigrants into farm areas. The resolution expressed appreciation of the work done by the various immigrant associations and their contribution toward absorption of newcomers.
The Jewish Agency executive was instructed, in still another resolution, to negotiate with the Israel Government concerning restoration of premiums for foreign currency brought in by immigrants at the same rate of exchange granted tourists and Israelis who liquidate overseas property. The resolution urged encouragement of middle class immigration, and welcomed the activity of the Jewish Agency’s economic department in this area.
ACTIONS COMMITTEE APPEALS TO RUSSIA TO RESTORE JEWISH RIGHTS
The Actions Committee also adopted a resolution calling on all countries which “aspire to world peace, stability and progress” to insure the use of the Suez Canal as a “free international highway.” The resolution reiterated an appeal to world public opinion to oppose “Arab endeavors to strangle Israel economically, ” and expressed “deep concern” over the interference by the United Arab Republic with Israel shipping and transport in the Canal in “open disregard of international law and in defiance of the United Nations resolutions.”
In another resolution, the World Zionist movement said it was its duty to demand the right of Jews everywhere freely to make contact with Jewish groups in other parts of the world to strengthen cultural relations, fortify Jewish culture and assure the right to emigrate to Israel. The resolution emphasized that the World Zionist movement “will note with satisfaction every step by the Soviet Union toward granting Jewish rights.
“At the same time, ” the resolution stressed, “the Zionist movement cannot ignore the continuing non-recognition of these rights in the Soviet Union and must draw world attention to this situation. ” The resolution said it was hoped that the Soviet Government would consider “these elementary demands” and recognize them as “the only practical and realistic basis for the status of the future of Soviet Jewry. “
The Actions Committee declared it considered the Jewish day school as an instrument of the highest importance for the education of youth and imposed on the Jewish Agency Department of Education and Culture the duty of promoting both primary and secondary day schools in countries outside of Israel. Another resolution recommended expansion of the program for training teachers for Jewish schools. It urged the Zionist movement and its institutions to increase activities for Hebrew.
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