Real Reason for Calling Actions Committee Meeting is Wish to Postpone Congress Mr. Richard Lichtheim

I have received your intimation that the Actions Committee has been convened for January 14th, in London, says a letter addressed to the Zionist Executive by Mr. Richard Lichtheim, former member of the Zionist Executive, who is at present Vice-President of the Actions Committee and one of the Vice-Presidents of the World Union of Zionist Revisionists, the text of which was issued to-day by the Executive Committee here of the Zionist Revisionist World Union. The promised explanation has not yet reached me, Mr. Lichtheim proceeds, though I am well acquainted with your arguments. As a member and Vice-President of the Actions Committee, I protest against this convocation which has been effected without consultation with the Presidium.

There are no serious material reasons for this new convocation of the Actions Committee; for a meeting of the Actions Committee, spread over some three days in London, can in-no way change the distressing financial situation. It would appear that you are anxious to call in the help of the Actions Committee against the decisions of the Finance Commission of the Jewish Agency in favour of retrenchment. You yourselves have robbed the Zionist Organisation and its authoritative bodies of its rights. You have transferred the political and financial leadership to the Mixed Jewish Agency. This course of yours however, – apart from the individual contributions of certain individuals whose sympathy and readiness to help you have exploited with a foolish rapacity – has revealed no new money sources, and no healthier financial methods. On the contrary, the monies have been swiftly dissipated by the inexperienced minions of the Jewish Agency, who have also assumed new obligations of an extent never before borne by us. All this has been done without consultation with the Actions Committee or the Directorate of the Keren Hayesod. How can the Actions Committee now help? Taking into account the financial and political collapse for which you are responsible, help can come only from a Congress which would completely remove the present leadership and rebuild the Organisation, shattered by you, under new control. It is evident, therefore, that the grave financial situation calls, not for the meeting of the Actions Committee, but for an expedited, convocation of Congress.

The true ground for your calling the Actions Committee, Mr. Lichtheim asserts, is clearly your wish to postpone the Congress. After this question was decided upon, following protracted debate by an Actions Committee meeting called specially for that purpose, you have no right again to put forward this question for discussion. No new arguments exist for postponement.

The fact that the Americans could not be strongly represented at Congress in February, was quite well known at the last meeting of the Actions Committee. In spite of that knowledge the Actions Committee decided for an early Congress, because the internal Zionist situation demanded clarification. A small American delegation will in any case be present in February.

That the negotiations with the Government would not produce any satisfactory result by the end of February, was also quite clear. The present negotiations are aimless and, indeed, harmful. This, too, calls for speedy convocation of Congress, so that a new leadership and new political methods may be sought. Should you persist in endeavouring to hinder the execution of the clearly-expressed decision by the last meeting of the Actions Committee for the convocation of Congress, it will be possible to interpret your efforts only as an attempt to prevent the necessary cleansing of the atmosphere of the Zionist Organisation, and to delay the necessary public judgment upon your work until a time which you may consider more favourable to yourselves.