Mizrachi Women’s Convention Appeals to Eisenhower on Middle East

President Eisenhower was urged last night to take the initiative in the construction of a “coordinated free world policy” towards achieving stability in the Middle East, at the opening session of the 33rd annual national convention here of the Mizrachi Women’s Organization of America. In a wire sent by the 1,000 delegates representing the organization’s 50,000 members in 42 states, the President was told that such a policy would lead to normalization of the Middle East. The convention adopted a budget of $1,260,000 for its Israeli projects.”

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, told the convention that it would be “misleading and dangerous to assume that the central problems of Israel have already been solved, despite the great and unparalleled achievements of the first decade” of Israel’s statehood. “Although the political situation of Israel has lately improved, the most decisive political problem of Israel, its integration in the Middle East and the normalization of its relations with the Arab countries is yet far from any solution.”

Turning to internal problems, Dr. Goldmann asserted that “a slow process of assimilation is threatening Jewish youth, and the central problem of the Jewish communities outside of Israel is to secure their survival as Jews. The only solution to this problem is to tie up Jewish life everywhere with its new center in Israel to establish relations of mutual influence and joint responsibility between Israel and the Jewish communities the world over, “he declared.

Mrs. Mose Dyckman, president of the Mizrachi Women, said that the “binding element in the development of a creative Jewish life both in the U. S. and Israel is the perpetuation of the prophetic ideals as expounded in the ancient tradition of Israel.” A highlight of the session was the presentation to the New York Times of the organizations “American-Israel Friendship Award” for its interpretation of Israel to the United States.