Citing Britian’s example of Lords working with Laborites in the national interest, President Pinchas Rutenberg of the Jewish National Council made a strong plea today for internal unity “in this disastrous hour.”
Speaking at a press conference, Rutenberg said: “The Jewish community is ill if, in the face of great dangers, it is still subject to the destructive influence of partisanship and strives vainly for self-organization. Why can we not follow the example of Great Britain, where Lord Beaverbrook (Minister of Aircraft Production) is working with Ernest Bevin (Labor Minister)?
“I am a devoted servant of our great, unfortunate nation and am ready to sacrifice myself to the last drop of blood, but if the situation does not change the sacrifice will have been wasted. We are now alone and assistance from abroad cannot be expected. We must be prepared to make the biggest sacrifices to meet the dangers that face us. But instead of constructive work, I am ashamed that I was forced to spend months persuading parties of the need for unity and only recently was there established an executive committee of nine.
“We expect the utmost discipline, cooperation and assistance from everyone in this disastrous hour.”
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