Lessing Rosenwald praised Israel and the accomplishments of its people last night after completing a week’s tour of the country, but insisted that he was still opposed to Zionism. Mr. Rosenwald stressed that the anti Zionist Council for Judaism, of which he is a former president, is not anti-Israel.
During his visit as a guest of the Government of Israel, Mr. Rosenwald conferred with Premier David Ben Gurion, who had extended the invitation to visit Israel. He travelled the length and breadth of Israel and even visited Sharm el Sheikh, on the top of the Sinai Peninsula.
Mr. Rosenwald reiterated his long-held view that the “Jews are not a people” and asserted that “we in America resent Zionist propaganda and lobbying activities.” Luring questioning by newsmen, Mr. Rosenwald admitted that the fact that Israel existed was good for the Jews seeking to migrate as well as for Egyptian and Hungarian Jews who needed a haven.
The American met with Israel Chief Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog and during his visit talked with many Israelis. People who met him during the tour commented on his breadth of knowledge of the historical and Biblical aspects of the country and on the fact that he emphasized that while he was a guest of the government he was paying all his own expenses.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
