Harman Calis for More Immigrants from Lands Where Zionism is Banned

Abraham Harman, member of the Jewish Agency executive, called today for acceptance of the maximum number of immigrants from countries where Zionist activity is not permitted, regardless of budget considerations. Addressing the Zionist Actions Committee which is currently in session, Mr. Harman asserted that although the Arab refugee problem receives world-wide attention there is little appreciation of the fact that Israel alone bears the burden of absorbing Jewish refugees.

S. Z. Shragai, head of the Jewish Agency’s immigration department, told the Actions Committee that despite an encouraging immigration of 88,300 newcomers in the 13 months between the last World Zionist Congress and the end of June, 1957, “we must not disregard the fact that the demand for immigration is greater than we are able to handle. He reported that some 60,000 Moroccan Jews were registered and approved for migration to Israel and unable either to leave Morocco or return to their former lives there. “The Zionist movement must make every effort to persuade the Moroccan authorities to permit them to leave,” he urged.

Paying tribute to the success of A.L. Easterman of the World Jewish Congress in obtaining permission for several thousand of the Moroccan Jews to depart, Mr. Shragai said the matter was a “humane problem” because the 100,000 Moroccan Jews who have settled in Israel left behind families with whom they are eager to be reunited. He welcomed the proposal to launch an international campaign for Soviet Jewry who, although facing no physical danger, do face “spiritual annihilation”

Asserting that necessity would create the “will to aliyah” among Jewish youth of North and South America, England and South Africa, the immigration official said it was necessary to establishing satisfactory conditions in Israel for immigrants who contribute to the professional know-how and development of initiative as Israelis.

Louis Segal, American Labor Zionist leader, supplemented the report with an account of the work of the American committee to encourage immigration to Israel and praised the cooperation of Rabbi Mordecai Kirshblum of the Jewish Agency for the registration of 250 American Jews for immigration in the first three months of 1957. Mr. Segal said this was highly encouraging, since this group included established craftsmen and professionals. He expressed the hope that the situation in Israel would be improved to enable more such migrants to come to Israel with prospects of attaining at least half the standard of living to which they were accustomed.

Yehuda Braginsky, head of the Agency’s absorption department, reported that because of the desire to make best use of the high percentage of professionals, technicians and scientists who came from European countries in the past year, the Agency departed from its main principle of sending the largest possible number of immigrants into rural, undeveloped areas. He revealed that between October 1956 and July 1957 less than nine percent of the immigrants ended up in agricultural settlements, 44 percent went to semi-urban settlement zones and the remaining 47 percent stayed in the heavily industrialized and urban coastal region of Israel.

IMMIGRATION OF 350,000 JEWS WITHIN NEXT FIVE YEARS PREDICTED

Dov Joseph, treasurer of the Jewish Agency, predicted that 350,000 to 400,000 Jews would migrate to Israel in the next five years. Assuming an average annual arrival of 75,000, absorption funds of 275,000,000 Israeli pounds will be required for each of the five years, Dr. Joseph said. The anticipated five-year immigration would represent about 12 percent of all non-Israeli Jews except those in the Soviet Union and the United States, from which countries no substantial emigration was expected, he stated.

The Jewish Agency treasurer explained that the Agency’s budget was based on three factors: The number of immigrants expected in each fiscal year, the number of newcomers who will receive housing from the Agency, and the number expected to be settled in agricultural areas. He said real expenditures of the Jewish Agency budget had been increased because the consumer price index has risen 25 percent during the past three years and the building price index 41 percent, making all Jewish Agency income worth much less in purchasing power than three years ago.

Stressing that 76 percent of the Agency’s budget was spent on immigration and absorption, he said even the deepest cuts in other outlays would not solve the Agency’s great financial problems which could be solved only by an increase in income and through larger credits for longer terms.