Reorganized Confederation of General Zionists to Hold World Parley

Delegates from countries throughout the world will convene in London March 9th and 10th, for a World Conference of the re-organized Confederation of General Zionists on a Diaspora basis, it was announced here today by Dr. Israel Goldstein and Mrs. Rose Halprin, co-chairman, in New York. Attending will be representatives from the United States, Canada, England, India, from 12 Central American countries and from 16 European and North African countries.

“The gathering will be the first world parley of the Confederation since it was reorganized in Jerusalem last July as an independent Diaspora Zionist Organization, unaffiliated with any political parties in Israel. The conference will review and evaluate recent developments in the Zionist movement, adopt a platform and formulate plans for activities in branches of the organization throughout the Diaspora, ” the announcement said. Dr. Israel Goldstein and Mrs. Rose Halprin, in a joint statement on the aims of the conference, declared:

“General Zionism–a Zionism unattached to any political party in Israel–has always appealed to vast numbers of the Jewish people in the Diaspora. It has nurtured Zionist idealism and it has implemented these ideals with practical constructive work. General Zionism, not identified with political parties in Israel, is the current embodiment of classical Zionism.

“Today, this non-party concept of independent Zionism is more vital than ever before for the millions of Jews outside of Israel for whom Israeli partisan conflicts are remote, and for whom the well-being of Israel as a whole and of the Jewish people as a whole, is the primary concern. General Zionism holds the center of gravity in the World Zionist movement. It should be the central force in the new ere of Zionism which began with the establishment of Medinat Israel in 1948.

“Our goal has always been the promotion of liberal, democratic Zionism that is not linked in any way with Israel’s internal political affairs. This is the only kind of Zionism that can have meaning for new generations of Jews in the Diaspora. It is the only Zionism that can encourage creative initiative in the Diaspora and benefit both Israel, the nation, and the Jewish people living outside of Israel. It can best promote knowledge, understanding and support of Israel’s culture and national institutions as a whole.

“The problems confronting Israel and the Jewish people have become increasingly acute. We must keep pace with the swift changes in today’s world; this we can do successfully only if we maintain a strong Zionist organization that can appeal to a majority of the Jews in the Diaspora and act unhampered by entangling political alliances. General Zionism has always played an important, indeed a major role, in the World Zionist Movement and today it is more essential than ever before to have such a strong independent General Zionist bulwark, able to maintain a balance of power and give leadership and direction, within the orbit of world Zionism.”