Mereminski, Palestine Delegate, Outlines What Labor Demands of 18th Congress

Member of the Palestine Labor Delegation, Zionist Actions Committee and Administrative Member of the Agency

Labor comes to the 18th World Zionist Congress strengthened by the renewed confidence of the great mass of Zionist electors, particularly in the three principal countries—Palestine, America and Poland. We know that this confidence is a result of our pioneer (chalutzim) work in Palestine and of the great thirst on the part of the Zionist movement for new constructive achievement.

Of our demands to the Zionist Congress I therefore consider especially important and vital to Zionism and the growth of Palestine the following:

1. Strengthen the Zionist World Organization and unify in each country all the Zionist forces which are active in constructive work for Palestine.

2. Strengthen the personal responsibility of every member of the World Zionist Organization to the movement and to the national funds.

COALESCE CREATIVE FORCES

3. Create a coalition of all creative forces in Zionism which will unite in one program: priority in the distribution of certificates to pioneer immigration, in accordance with the decisions of previous congresses; strengthen the training of chalutzim (pioneers); in the alloting of bank credit, priority should be given to such middle-class elements as pledge themselves to Jewish organized work; opening up in the country of mutual work burcaus of workers and employers, bureaus which shall be based upon collective agreements between organized labor and employers, upon the unity and organization of labor, upon the duty of all employers to employ only Jewish labor and, with the Histadruth, to set up new immigrants; arbitration in cases of dispute according to an understanding between the Histadruth and entrepreneurs; an agreement between the Histadruth and other labor groups on all questions pertaining to working-conditions, labor contracts, etc., as has already been carried out with respect to the Hapoel ha-Mizrachi (the orthodox workers’ group).

4. The coalition of these creative forces must be based upon complete tolerance of the religious convictions in Zionism and in Palestine. Nothing must be done which might nullify or weaken the principles of the Zionist Congresses, that religion is a private matter (just as is the political conviction of the inhabitants of Palestine).

5. The coalition must carry out our proposal, committed to the executive, about changing the immigration laws; doing away with the present system of giving half-year certificates which are allotted according to the caprices of the government, and giving to the Agency, whenever it demands them, a considerable number of permits for impecunious and worker immigrants, said permits to be allotted at the discretion of the Agency, and in accordance with colonization exigencies. No limitations must be imposed in matters of time, age or pursuit. Unrestricted immigration of parents who have adult children in Palestine.

6. The coalition must annul the at present politically constituted Palestine officialdom and set up again the non-partisan organization which for twelve years existed on the principle of proportionate representation—half workers, and half from the remaining groups.

7. The coalition must recognize the National Fund as the only national and social purchaser of land in Palestine, must determine norms for labor and for private holdings of national ground, and must propagate throughout the world the demand that Jews be associated only with the National Fund lands. For this purpose everything must be done