New York Yiddish Press Endorses Ben Gurion’s Statement on U.s.-israel Relations

The declaration defining the relationship between Israel and American Jewry, made by Israel’s Premier David Ben Gurion at a luncheon in Jerusalem tendered by the government of the Jewish state to Jacob Blaustein, president of the American Jewish Committee, is being commented upon extensively in the Yiddish press.

The Day points out in an editorial that Premier Ben Gurion’s declaration “puts an end to all misunderstandings.” It also lauds Mr. Blaustein’s reply and says: “The Israel Premier has outlined the proper relations and cooperation between Israel and American Jewry. Jacob Blaustein fully agreed with Premier Ben Gurion’s conclusions. Now it is time for concrete action on a wide scale. The proper cooperation between American Jewry and Israel can and should bring economic strength to the Jewish state, as well as enrich Jewish spiritual life in the United States.”

The Jewish Morning Journal emphasizes that what Premier Ben Gurion said to Mr. Blaustein with regard to the relations between American Jewry and Israel “is actually a confirmation of the attitude taken by leading American Zionists soon after the establishment of the Jewish state,” when they insisted on “autonomy” for American Zionists in order to avoid being charged with “dual loyalty.” The paper says that some will wonder why Mr. Ben Gurion made his statement to Mr. Blaustein and not to Zionist leaders. However, it comes to the conclusion that the message to American Jewry was made through Mr. Blaustein because the Israel Premier apparently is interested in winning over non-Zionist elements who are in a position to make large contributions to the Jewish state.

S. Dingol in his column in The Day offers three possible reasons for the visit of Mr. Jacob Blaustein to Israel. The visit may have been made in connection with the agreement recently reached with the American oil companies for supplying oil to the refineries of Haifa. Or the visit may have had something to do with the planned billion dollar loan in which the American Jewish Committee “with the large number of bankers and brokers among its membership” might become an important factor. Then again Mr. Blaustein’s visit may have had to do primarily with Jewish politics in America such as the charges of dual allegiance caused by certain utterances of Premier Ben Gurion. Mr. Blaustein evidently wanted to put an end to this “whispering campaign” and this the latest declaration by Ben Gurion did quite effectively. Dr. S. Margoshes, in his daily English-language column in The Day, charged that Mr. Ben Gurion’s pronouncement strengthened the American Jewish Committee at Zionist expense.