Supreme Zionist Body Asks Russia to Permit Emigration of Jews

The week-long meeting of the Zionist Actions Committee, policy-making body of the Zionist movement between sessions of the World Zionist Congress, concluded here this week-end following the adoption of resolutions calling upon the Soviet Union and the other Communist countries to permit the emigration of Jews to Israel, expressing concern over the Western Powers’ wooing of the Arab states at the possible expense of Israel, and approving structural changes in the Zionist organizational make-up.

The Zionist leaders from all parts of the world expressed their shock at the fact that Zionist leaders have been tried and sentenced to severe prison terms in Rumania, Czechoslovakia and Hungary for their Zionist activities. The Actions Committee declared that it was identifying itself with imprisoned and exiled Zionist leaders and called for their release from jail and emigration from the satellite countries.

The resolution also called on the world to take note and protest against the “hostile and vengeful activities” of the Egyptian and Iraqi Governments for “fabricating judicial proceedings against Jews” in those countries on the grounds that they are Zionists.

The resolution expressing apprehension at the attempt to win over the Arabs, pointed out that these states are still waging war against Israel. It called for the Jewish people, the Zionist movement and world opinion to bring “to naught” the continuous efforts of the Arab states to destroy Israel. It also urged frustration of Arab plans to sabotage the development of Israel’s natural resources.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES DECIDED UPON BY ZIONIST ACTIONS COMMITTEE

The resolution on organizational changes called for the establishment of territorial Zionist organizations in countries outside Israel, which would include all parties in the country as well as non-party members. Where the local Zionist groups feel that such an organization is unnecessary the matter will be referred to the Zionist executive for final decision.

The question of affiliation of individual Zionists who are not members of any party shall be decided in each country by a majority of the local Zionist groups in the envisioned territorial organization, the resolution said. Should such a decision not be arrived at, the matter would again be referred for final action to the Zionist executive.

The Actions Committee decided to postpone until its next session the question of whether Zionist parties in Israel shall continue to be entitled to double representation in the World Zionist Congress–the question of the so-called double shekel. The next Actions-Committee session will open July 21. The year 1954 was proclaimed Herzl Year and special educational programs will be held in honor of the founder of modern Zionism.

The Actions Committee also made a number of personnel changes on the Jewish Agency executive, including: the naming of Louis Segal, American Labor Zionist leader, to succeed the late Haylm Greenberg as head of the Agency’s cultural and education department; the replacement of Benjamin Browdy, who resigned from the American branch of the Agency, with Dr. Emanuel Neumann and his replacement as head of the economic department of the Jerusalem executive with Meir Grossman, Revisionist leader. It also appointed S. Z. Shragai to replace Itzhak Raphael, who resigned as head of the Agency’s immigration department.

Israel Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, addressing the final session of the meeting, appealed to Zionists in all countries to add investments to their contributions to Israel. “If every Zionist had built a house in Israel, planted a small orange grove or invested a little money here, how different would it look today?” he said. Mr. Eshkol warned that Israel still facet a tremendous danger and pointed out that the tendency of contributions to Israel to drop off may add to that danger.

David Ben Gurion, retired Premier of Israel, in an article in Davar, official organ of the Histadrut, says that the Zionist Actions Committee “did not give a clear and precise answer to the question of what are the obligatory values and contents of the Zionist movement.” Referring to the letter which he addressed to the Actions Committee, and in which he indicated that immigration to Israel must be considered a primary aim of every Zionist, Mr. Ben Gurion said that the important part played by American Jewry during the recent Washington-Jerusalem crisis again poses the question: “What it the difference between an ordinary Jew and a Zionist?”