Israel Holds Elections to Zionist Congress; 210 Delegates to Be Elected

Some 665,000 shekelim have been sold in Israel where the electors go to the polls today to name 210 delegates to the World Zionist Congress, Eliahu Dobkin, member of the Jewish Agency executive, today told a press conference.

Mr. Dobkin reported that countries outside of Israel have already elected 243 delegates of various parties. He said that 470 to 480 delegates will finally be named to the congress. Of the 243 delegates elected outside the Jewish state, 110 are General Zionists, Progressives or Hadassah representatives; 60 are Mapai delegates; 39 Mizrachi or Labor Mizrachi; 12 Mapam; 16 Herut; and six others, including two of the Grossman Revisionist group.

The Agency official also reported that the Agency will submit a report to the World Zionist Congress listing its five major achievements of the past three years. They are: the transportation and resettlement of 630,000 immigrants to Israel; the establishment of 262 new agricultural settlements; the immigration of 38,000 children and youths under the auspices of the Youth Aliyah movement; the establishment of 52 farm training centers; and the collection of $285,000,000 by various Zionist drives.

The Mapai platform for today’s Congress elections proposes that the World Zionist Organization support the state and government of Israel in all its activities, while the Labor Party pledges to work in the Parliament to obtain a special legal status for the organization in Israel. The program also suggests that all Zionist groups in each country outside Israel unite into one overall organization. Finally, the party pledges to fight for the emigration of Jews from countries which do not permit it, and the participation of private capital in constructive enterprises in Israel.