“The murder of DeHaan will not stop the work of the delegation of the Agudath Israel in its fight for the internal autonomy of the Jewish orthodox group in Jerusalem,” was the statement made yesterday by Dr. Pinchas Kohn to the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here.
Dr. Kohn, who is the President of the Agudath Israel, arrived here to head the delegation of the Agudath Israel to the Colonal Office, which will protest against the ordinance of the Palestinian Government granting communal autonomy to the Jewish communities of Palestine, under the leadership of the
Vaad Leumi. Other members of the delegation are Guggenheim of Basle, Rosenheim of Frankfost, Goodman of London and Rabbi Horowitz of Jerusalem. Dr. Vallach remained in Jerusalem because of DeHaan’s death.
“The Agudath Israel,” Dr. Kohn continued, “is not engaging in this fight for the sake of fighting. We are anxious to reach an understanding that would enable the Palestine Jews to present a united front to the outside world, but we refuse to surrender the right of Jewish orthodoxy to internal authonomy in matters of religion, education, shechita, burial, etcetera. We refuse to submit our religious questions to the non-religious elements which govern the Vaad Leumi.
“We are willing to agree that a joint committee consisting of representatives of the Vaad Leumi and the Agudath Israel should be formed for the purpose of representing the entire Palestinian Jewry before the government.”
Dr. Kohn then showed to the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency the text of the memorandum which the delegation will submit to the Colonial Office. The memorandum calls for the right of the orthox Jews in Palestine to form separate communities outside of the proposed system under the leadership of the Vaad Leumi. It also asks for the right of the orthodox Jews of Palestine to elect a Rabbinate of their own, and to have their own shechita and burial institutions.
The memorandum was the last work of Israel DeHaan.
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