Israel Premier Urges Agudah to Join Cabinet; Appeals for Loyalty

Israel Premier Moshe Sharett, addressing the opening session of the Knessio Gedolo, the World Congress of the Agudath Israel, last night invited, on behalf of the Israel Government, the Agudath in Israel to join the coalition Cabinet and bear joint responsibility for the government.

“You have to exercise loyalty, lenience and tolerance, especially now when we are still surrounded by enemies aiming to destroy us,” Premier Sharett said. “We must form one strong front militarily, economically and politically. “

Mr. Sharett took note that the Agudists might not like all of Israel’s laws and possibly would like to have all its laws based on the Torah. Nonetheless, he urged the Agudists to join in upholding those laws. The Premier was greeted by a wave of stormy applause when he declared that “only in this country can Jews live as really religious Jews.

Before him, Rabbi Itche Meir Levin, head of the Agudas Israel party of Israel, appealed to the United States not to arm the Arab states which he stressed were incessantly preparing for war against Israel. Rabbi Levin, who called on all Jews to cooperate with Israel and participate in its work, explained that the Agudah had left the Israel Government because it would not compromise its “Torah principles.”

Today, Rabbi Levin reported to the congress on the problems of the Israel party in relation to the government, its work in the Knesset and in other areas in Israel. He argued that the Agudah’s work should be centered in Israel. H.A. Goodman, of the London office of the Agudah movement, spoke in favor of three autonomous centers: Jerusalem, London and New York. Dr. Itzhak Levin, of the American delegation, reported on the work of Agudah at the U. N. Dr. Jacob Rosenheim, 90-year-old president of the world Agudah organization, was named president of the congress.