A suggestion that Dr. Chaim Weizmann should resign as president of the Jewish Agency because he has been betrayed by the British Labor Party, is made by Dr. J. Gottlieb, prominent Polish Zionist leader, writing in yesterday’s “Haint.” Dr. Gottlieb further suggests the shifting of the point of gravity of the Zionist executive from London to New York or Washington, “where the Zionist leaders realize that the Palestine Mandate is not a mere English document.”
Dr. Weizmann, states Dr. Gottlied, has placed his entire faith in the English Zionists and impressed on Zionists the necessity for keeping faith in England. “Now he must resign,” continues Dr. Gottlieb, “not because he misled the Zionists, but because he was betrayed by the Labor Party which has treated the Zionist leader in a way no other British government would have dared to.”
Pointing out that although Gandhi and Nahi Pasha have been treated with sufficient character and determination by Downing Street, “it appears that the government has decided that the Jewish people are weak and have decided to play politics with the Jews as victims.
MAKES STATEMENT WITH REGRET
“I do not make the statement that Weizmann should resign without regret,” Dr. Gottlieb writes, “for it is difficult for any Zionist to pronounce such a suggestion without pain. Dr. Weizmann’s abilities and talents have made him an outstanding leader yet he must resign, not for any fault of his own, but because of England.
“It is necessary to convene an extraordinary Zionist Congress to elect a new executive and transfer the point of gravity from London to Washington or New York, where the Zionist leaders realized that the Palestine Mandate is not a mere English document; or Paris, where the public opinion is favorable to us, or perhaps Berlin where Albert Einstein and Oscar Wasserman reside.”
“It is unnecessary for us to lose our heads,” continues the writer, “for it is still questionable who will endur longer—the British Labor cabinet, or the Jewish people.”
“MOMENT” URGES SPECIAL CONGRESS
“The recent order stopping immigration is the last link in a chain of measures against the Mandate policy that rob us of our holy right to a free immigration,” writes the “Moment,” another Warsaw Jewish daily, stating that an old and intelligent people has been dishonored by Britain and that it is necessary now for the Jewish people to protest. The paper suggests the convening of an extraordinary session of the Zionist Congress to emphasize that England neither created Zionism nor can she destroy it.
POLISH ZIONISTS PROTEST
“Since the bloody events of last August, states an appeal to the Jewish people of Poland which is signed by members of the Actions Committee of the Zionist Organization, “England has increased its obligations before the entire world and has also added numerous contradictions of its stand to carry out the policy of the Mandate. Britain is robbing us of our right to our homeland which we built up with our blood. In the past ten years the Mandatory power has indifferently watched our extraordinary efforts and has refrained from assisting us in any substantial measure.
“Yet our work brought about wonders, created new life in the desert even without the government’s assistance. Now our work is disturbed and interrupted. There is danger that our hopes will not be realized. Should we permit a new obstacle to be placed in the way of our freedom? Nothing can prevent us from continuing our efforts.”
England received the Mandate for the execution of a definite undertaking, states the appeal, which says that the Jewish people must protest vigorously and demand the realization of its undertaking, immediate withdrawal of the immigration ban, and demand a hearing for those who not only gave their last penny for Palestine, but even their dearest possessions,—”their sons and daughters were contributed to the upbuilding of Palestine.”
The appeal is signed not only by the Actions Committee of the Zionist Organization of Poland but also by the central committees of Central Poland’s Zionist body, East and West Galicia’s, by the Mizrachi and Hitachduth, Poale Zion and Hechaluth.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.