The Jewish Agency will seek a clear-cut definition of its official status, duties and jurisdiction from the Israel Government at the Zionist Actions Committee which opens its session in Jerusalem on April 19, Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the American section of the Agency, declared at a press conference today on the eve of his departure for the meetings.
Along with the clarification of its functions, which have not been agreed upon since September, 1947, the Actions Committee will discuss the serious problem of the mass immigration into Israel this year of Jews form Iraq. This unprecedented new immigration which may smash previous budgetary calculations will pose a stupendous problem of financing, Dr. Goldmann said.
In September of 1947, members of the Zionist Actions Committee and government officials decided upon a division of work and established committees which functioned independently of each other. However, with the establishment of the Jewish state in May, 1948, these committees have been either overlapping one another or failing to serve with maximum efficiency. To iron out these difficulties, at the present time, a committee composed of two Agency members and two government representatives is carrying on discussions, which it is hoped, said Dr. Goldmann, will lead to a quick and amiable agreement.
The Actions Committee session, which will be attended by 70 delegates from all over the world, including about 15 from the Uited States, will find more diffculty in solving the immigration problem, Dr, Goldmann said. “This tremendous job of transporting and absorbing the immigrants from Iraq is beyond the present budgetary allowances,” he added. “This is the problem confronting world Jewry and particularly the United Jewish Appeal,” he emphasizod.
As an example of the question of financing this undertaking, Dr. Goldmann declared that transporting the 100,000 Iraqi Jews would cost $6,000,000. That, added to $2,000–the cost of absorbing each family–“will tax us beyond our resources,” he said. “There is one hope, the United Jewish Appeal. They must increase their income more than ever before, otherwise, a curtailment of immigration and disaster will surely follow,” he warned.
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