The Jewish Agency, the body representing Zionists and non-Zionists for the upbuilding of Palestine, is an unequal partnership with the non-Zionist side unorganized and unrepresentative, as far as America is concerned, was the assertion made yesterday by Louis Lipsky, American Zionist leader, and president of the Judea Life Insurance Company, on his departure from America on the Majestic to attend the sessions of the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency which will take place at Berlin on August 29.
In a statement made to the press, Mr. Lipsky, former president of the Zionist Organization of America, said:
“One of the most serious problems facing the Zionist movement today and one which will undoubtedly be given major consideration at the sessions in Berlin is the matter of the future of the Jewish Agency. Without in the slightest degree questioning the value of that movement, which arose in the Zionist Organization, for uniting Zionists and non-Zionists for the task of upbuilding Palestine as the Jewish National Home, it is of the utmost importance, especially here in the United States, that the Jewish Agency become not merely a partnership on the one side representing the organized forces of the Zionist movement and on the other side an unorganized and unrepresentative force of non-Zionists.
“For the good of the Agency, and for the future of Palestine, it is of the utmost importance that the Jewish Agency become an effective instrument for the organization of the Jews in this country. It cannot remain what it is at the present time—an inchoate form that does not move out to capture and conquer the Jewish masses, but merely represents a small group of Jews in this country who are not Zionists but who are personally devoted to the upbuilding of Palestine.
“When the Jewish Agency was organized at Zurich, Switzerland, in August, 1929, it was the understanding that the non-Zionists would seek to enlarge their forces, to become active exponents of the cause of Palestine, constantly securing new recruits for the work. Our hopes in this direction have met with disappointment. It is our expectation that at Berlin some measures will be taken to remedy this situation. The result of a strengthened, and more representative non-Zionist group will mean much for the concrete upbuilding of Palestine as the Jewish National Home.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
