Mizrachi Demands Reorganization of Zionist Emergency Council; Asks Recall of Silver

Declaring that “unless Zionist policies and Zionist effort take a new turn we face a most serious defeat,” Leon Gellman, president of the Mizrachi Organization, today demanded that the American Zionist Emergency Council be recorganized within the next two weeks to take in “all active forces,” particularly Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.

In a letter to Dr. Stephen S. Wise, president of the council, Mr. Gellman declared that the Mizrachi Organization has “reached the point where we must declare that we can no longer bear responsibility for the work and policies” of the council. “The widespread interest which has been aroused among the Jewish public by the San Francisco conference should not obscure the fact that these actions are of relatively minor importance so far as the future of Palestine is concerned,” he continued. “Such minor successes as we may achieve there should not blind us to the grave realities of the general political situation.

“In view of the imminent danger, we feel that adequate measuers were not adopted by our political leadership as represented in the American Zionist Emergency Council, No attempt has been made to reintroduce the Palestine resolution in Congress. There has been no forthright denunciation of the anti-Zionist trands prevailing in the State Department. There has been no adequate attempt to force a showdown on our government’s policy through the concentrated pressure of public opinion. There has been excessive reliance upon the private and public assurances of individual statesmen and the continuing failure to pursue more vigorous and militant policies.

“With all due respect to the present leadership of the Zionist Emergency Council,” Mr. Gellman added, “we feel most strongly that conditions demand a reorganization of the Council to include all active forces in a spirit of complete unity and harmony. Six crucial months have passed since the leadership of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and his policies were challenged. We have urged that steps be taken to re-establish Zionist unity and recall Dr. Silver to active leadership and our proposals were rejected.”