The Jewish Agency executive here issued a statement today denying allegations made “in certain American circles” that the Agency in Jerusalem has discriminated against Agudas Israel and its laborite group, Poalei Agudes Israel, in the allocation of funds.
Emphasizing that “no similar charges have been levelled against the Jewish Agency by any Agudah representative in Israel,” the statement says that the Jewish Agency, which is the administrator of that portion of the United Jewish Appeal funds allocated to the immigration and absorption program in Israel, has spent the following sums in behalf of Agudath Israel since October, 1948, the beginning of the current budgetary year.
“1. $1,200,000 on the absorption and housing of members of Agudas Israel and of Poalei Agudas Israel. Another $600,000 have been allocated for this purpose for the remainder of the budgetary year.
“2. $231,000 on educational institutions administered by Agudas Israel and Poalei Agudas Israel; $180,000 spent by the Youth Aliyah Department for Agudah children. An additional $105,000 have been allocated for this purpose for the remainder of the budgetary year.
“3. $71,000 spent by the Jewish Agency’s Agriculture and Colonization Department on behalf of Poalei Agudas Israel. An additional $87,000 have been allocated for the remainder of the budgetary year.
“In addition to these major items, other Jewish Agency departments have spent smaller sums on behalf of Agudas Israel and its labor affiliate,” the statement declares. “In all, the Agency has expended $1,500,000 on behalf of the two organizations, and has budgeted another $750,000 for the remainder of the budgetary year. In the light of the above, all allegations that Agudas Israel and Poalei Agudas Israel are being discriminated against are obviously not based on reality. All new immigrants, whether or not they are members of the Agudah, are given equal treatment, ” This equality of treatment extends also into the field of education, the statement emphasizes.
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