The Palestine Conference

Washington

The first really national conference on Palestine has just concluded here. From it, three outstanding factors developed, all of which should have an important bearing on the future of the Jewish National Homeland.

The first of these was the official reiteration, by President Roosevelt in his message, and by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes in his address of official approval by the United States of the program of Jewish upbuilding in Palestine and American sympathy with the aspirations of the Jews. While such statements are not necessary here to convince American Jews of the attitude of their government, they are bound to be effective abroad.

BROADEN ACTIVITY HERE

A second factor resulting from the conference will be the broadening of the base of Zionist activity in this country. Hundreds of leaders who had not been directly associated with Zionist work for partisan or other valid reasons, participated in the conference and thus assumed a share of responsibility for American Palestine endeavors.

This is particular noteworthy in that it provides a basis for approach to the great masses of American Jews who have not been drawn into the sphere of Zionist activity by the Zionist Organization of America with its limited membership. In a way it provides a means of tapping that great reserve of sympathy for Palestine aims which the executive committee of the Jewish Agency for Palestine recognized at its recent session here and planned to profit by through formation of a non-Zionist constituency for the Jewish Agency.

ADDED STRENGTH

This should result in a great strengthening of the American Zionist organization not only because it will have new hands working with it but because it will be enriched by infiltration of many inactive sympathizers drawn into the organization’s orbit by these co-workers.

Perhaps most significant of all, was the decision of the conference to establish an economic commission to survey the position and requirements of Palestine, coordinate public and private agencies and develop a concerted program of Palestine economic activities.

HAILED AS CONSTRUCTIVE

This is probably the most constructive idea put forth with regard to Palestine in many years. In America alone, there are scores of agencies pouring money into Palestine without regard to any comprehensive plan. Throughout the world there are hundreds more, public and private. How much duplication, how much waste has resulted from this, despite the remarkable results accomplished may not be known until a thorough survey is made by experts. How much more could be accomplished with the same effort and energy, their reports and plans may show.

We know that one result of the flood of private capital into Palestine has been a land boom that has seriously hampered the normal growth of the country. We know that there is a tendency for private capital to concentrate in certain fields with the concomitant danger of overproduction and unmarketable surpluses. We know, too, that there is a tendency toward concentration of population in cities.

TO SURVEY JOBS FIELD

Just how serious these things are, the economic commission would determine and would reveal alternative fields for employment of capital.

Should the Jewish Agency accede to the request of the conference for creation of a world-wide economic commission, a planned economy for Palestine might be possible—providing that once the survey was made the commission be given some authority, divorced from the internal political aspects of the movement but obedient to major political requirements such as general policy, relations with the Mandatory Power etc., would be the greatest step in the Palestine movement since the establishment of the Jewish Agency. The possibilities for good in the functioning of such a commission are unlimited.