Jewish Agency Issues Detailed Report on 18 Months of Activities

The Jewish Agency spent a total of 188,300,000 pounds during the 18-month period between October 1953 and March 1955, it was revealed here today in a report distributed in advance of next week’s meeting of the Zionist Actions Committee, policy-making body of the Zionist movement between world congresses. Fully two-thirds of this sum was spent on agricultural settlement programs, the report stressed.

In a special section of the financial report, it was noted that since 1948 when the Jewish State was established, the Jewish Agency has spent 832,000,000 pounds, much of which went for the initial stages of absorption of the 750,000 immigrants who swelled Israel’s population since 1948. Among the programs financed by the Agency was the establishment of 438 settlements in which 30,000 immigrant families now live, the maintenance and education of some 40,000 children within the framework of the Youth Aliyah organization, and general cultural and educational activities.

Income for the 18-month period exceeded 182,000,000 pounds, the report said. Some 102,500,000 pounds of the total came from the Israel Foundation Fund (chiefly from the United Jewish Appeal); 61,000,000 pounds in German reparations funds and the recovery of heirless and communal Jewish property in Germany; and the remainder came from Youth Aliyah and other campaigns, the return of loaned funds and the floating of various loans.

Expenditures for the 18-month period exceeded 188,000,000 pounds, with the six million pound deficit arising during the last six months of the period because of the need to transport and absorb thousands of North African immigrants who began coming to Israel in waves from the summer of 1954 on. Transportation costs for immigrants during the 18-month period came to 5,500,000 pounds and absorption costs were 10,200,000 pounds an average of 65 pounds per immigrant who arrived and was settled on the land.