The five-day conference of the Palestine Labor Party, called for the purpose of settling the internal struggle within the ranks of the party concluded last night in Kfar Vitkin without solving the basic problems which precipitated the conflict and without bringing about an understanding between the opposing factions.
Of the 401 delegates attending the conference only 205 voted for the principal resolution offered by the group led by Ben-Gurion, which provided for new by-laws and which would actually restrict the entry of more opposition elements into the party. The new by-laws would abolish factions within the party and provide for the holding of referendums whenever basic problems are to be decided upon. The same 205 votes were cast for the political resolutions offered at the conference, which were adopted several months ago at a conference of the Histadruth, the Palestine Federation of Labor.
Although Aaron Zisling, one of the leaders of the opposition, was given a seat on the new secretariate of the party elected at the concluding session of the conference, it is considered doubtful whether this will improve the internal situation. This was particularly emphasized in a demonstration at the closing session by one of the veteran leaders of the party. Idelson, who, after the passage of the resolution on the admittance of new members into the party, rose from his seat and announced: “I declare I am no longer a member of the party. I have nothing more to do here.” He then walked out of the hall. His attitude represents that held by many other members of the opposition.
OPPOSITION LEADER LISTS GRIEVANCES: KATZNELSON APPEALS FOR GOODWILL
The sentiments of the opposition were summed up by Aaron Zisling in a two-hour concluding speech in which he accused the present leadership of the party of suppressing independent political thought, charging the leaders – especially the laborite members of the World Zionist Executive – with abandoning the party line in external and internal problems and in taking political steps before consulting the party as a whole. Zisling appealed to the delegates not to split the party and pleaded for a more democratic attitude within the party leadership and for a lenient attitude towards their ideological opponents who, he pointed out, were among the builders of the Labor Party in Palestine.
Berl Katzelson, the spiritual leader of the Palestine labor movement, in a speech at the concluding session, stated that internal discipline is of paramount importance. He demanded that the opposition display more goodwill toward the leaders of the party in order to avoid a breach.
Both groups expect to gain a majority in the referendum on the basic problems, which the party is obliged to hold under the new by-laws.
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