Jewish Commonwealth Would Lead to Partition of Palestine, Laborite Opposition Says

The charge that a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine, as advocated by the Biltmore Declaration, “would lead to the partition of Palestine,” was voiced here today at the Council of the Jewish Labor Party by leaders of the opposition group of the party.

Isaac Tobenkin, the leader of the opposition, warned the Council that acceptance of a Jewish State at present would mean acceptance, also of an Arab State within the ancient borders of Palestine. “Thus,” he pointed out, “this Jewish State will only enjoy comparative and fictitious independence and would close the greater part of ancient Palestine to Jews.”

Explaining why 21 members of the executive committee of the Histadruth voted against the Biltmore Declaration, Mr. Tobenkin said that “the demand for a Jewish Commonwealth means negotiations for a part of Palestine.” It also means releasing Britain from its international obligations and overlooks the question of Arab-Jewish relations, he added.

OPPOSITION HARMS ZIONIST EFFORTS IN AMERICA, BEN-GURION CHARGES

David Ben-Gurion, majority leader of the Labor Party, who, this week resumed his post as chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency, severely criticized the attitude of the opposition. Addressing the Council, he pointed out that the fact that only 24 members of the executive committee of the Histadruth voted for the Biltmore Declaration and 21 voted against it has had an adverse effect in the United States and has done great harm to the Zionist cause.

“The division of the vote,” Ben-Gurion declared, “falsifies the real picture of the distribution of strength in the ranks of the Histadruth.” He demanded that the members of the executive committee of the Histadruth who oppose the Biltmore Declaration either accept party discipline and adhere to the will of the majority which favors the document, or return their mandates to the electors, whose sentiments, he said, they do not reflect, He denied that the “B” group of the Labor Party, which represents the opposition, is being deprived of freedom of speech.

Replying to the reproach of the opposition that in 1937 he favored the partition plan for Palestine, Ben-Gurion said; “Had we a Jewish State, we would have been able to save hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives. The Jewish people have no time to wait. How many Jews will survive this war? The floor is burning under our feet. I favored partition because the immigration of two million Jews into a Jewish State would have been worth more then all declarations put together. Palestine without Jews has no value for us.”

LEADER OF OPPOSITION CHALLENGED TO APPEAR BEFORE RABBINICAL COURT

Taking issue with Tobenkin, Ben-Gurion accused him of deepening the conflict and with making unity in the Histadruth impossible. “We summon you to a Din Torah,” he said. He added that he saw no reason why Tobenkin and his group should insist on the continuation of the Palestine mandate. “A mandate,” Ben-Gurion said, “means foreign rule. Such a rule often follows its own interests in disregard of Jewish aspirations. It was the mandatory power that issued the White Paper,” he reminded the opposition, adding that he also did not see why the Tobenkin group feared Jewish Agency control of immigration.

Zalman Rubashev, editor of the Labor newspaper Davar, supported Ben-Gurion’s views. Addressing the Council, Rubashev warned the opposition that its views were being utilized abroad for anti-Zionist purposes. Others who supported Ben-Gurion included Joseph Sprinzak, Eliahu Golumb and A. Harzfeld.