The entire Revisionist bloc of 16 out of the total number of 71 members, walked out from the Palestine Jewish Elected Assembly (Assefath Hanivcharim) when at 6 o’clock this morning, after resuming its session at 2 a.m. following an all-day sitting, the Assembly accepted on a roll-call by 37 votes against 29 (Labour alone has 32 seats in the Assembly) the Labour motion referring the question of the participation of Palestine Jewry in the negotiations of the Jewish Agency with the British Government to the incoming Executive of the Assembly, the Vaad Leumi, against the uncompromising opposition of the Revisionists, whose spokesman had declared at the opening session of the new Assembly that “the stand which will be taken on the Jewish Agency negotiations with the Government, the Palestine Legislature project and the Simpson Development Scheme, will determine the measure of our participation here and in the next Vaad Leumi.”
Dr. von Weisl, speaking to-day for the Revisionists, said that the Revisionists represent 10,000 voters and their election slogan had been “Against the White Paper”. The negotiations with the Government are a disgrace, he said, and referring the matter to the Vaad Leumi means the eventual approval of the participation of Palestine Jewry in the negotiations.
Rabbi Ostrowsky, speaking for the Mizrachi, demanded the insertion of a proviso in the resolution that the Vaad Leumi can agree to participation in the negotiations only by a two-thirds majority.
Mr. Weinstein, for the Revisionists, appealed to the Assefah to keep out of the further negotiations, especially since the result of the negotiations was already apparent in Mr. Mac-Donald’s statement in the House of Commons.
The Labour leader, Mr. Ben-Gurion, insisted that the Jews could not afford to sulk. It is the duty of the Yishub to join in the negotiations, he said, but he added that he was agreeable to having the matter left for decision to the incoming Vaad Leumi, without the two-thirds majority proviso, however.
Dr. Mossinsohn and Mrs. Azaryahu vainly attempted to conciliate the two conflicting parties, Labour and the Revisionists, and the Mizrachi spokesman announced that they would vote with the Revisionists.
There was tremendous excitement when the roll-call was taken. The representatives of Labour, the General Zionists and the Yemenites voted for the resolution and the Revisionists, Mizrachists and Sephardim voted against.
Dr. Weinshall, speaking on behalf of the Revisionists after the vote had been taken, said that it showed clearly that there was no mutual language between them and the Labour majority, And the Revisionist members thereupon walked out.
Rabbi Ostrowsky, on behalf of the Mizrachi, and Mr. Elmaleh, on behalf of the Sephardim, then announced that they would not enter the new Vaad Leumi, and that they would not vote on the remaining questions before the Assembly, including the taxation for the upkeep of the Palestine Jewish Community, the Kenesseth Israel.
Dr. Benzich Mossinsohn, who was in the chair, adjourned the meeting at 6.30 a.m. to allow the Presidium of the Assembly to meet to try to find a formula to satisfy the Mizrachists and Sephardim, and bring them back into the Assembly.
Finally, an arrangement was reached with the Mizrachists and the Sephardim by giving them an undertaking that the question of the participation of the Yishub in the Jewish Agency negotiations with the British Government can be decided by the Vaad Leumi only with the agreement of two of the three smaller fractions, their own two groups and the General Zionists.
When the Assembly reassembled half an hour later, Mr. Ben-Zvi, for the Labour Party, and Dr. Mossinsohn, for the General Zionists, appealed to the Mizrachists and the Sephardim to enter the Vaad Leumi, Mr. Ben-Zvi hinting that places would be kept open for the Revisionists when they decided to return.
The Assembly then went back to business, everything going off smoothly, the proposals for the taxation scheme, the organisation of the Jewish Community and the Rabbinical Office being assented to without difficulty.
A new Vaad Leumi was elected, consisting of 23 members, eleven Labourites, and twelve others, four Sephardim, three Mizrachists, three General Zionists, one Yemenite, and one woman representative, placing Labour in a considerable minority, if the Revisionists should claim the five seats reserved for them.
It was ten o’clock in the morning before the session of the first officially recognised Palestine Jewish Elected Assembly came to an end, after an almost continuous sitting yesterday and through the night of about 16 hours, with the tired-out delegates singing the “Hatikvah” before they dispersed.
Dr. von Weisl, speaking with the J.T.A., said that the Revisionists will try to establish a separate Council, although its withdrawal from the Assembly, he added, does not mean secession from the Kenesseth Israel, to which the Revisionists are ready to return as soon as participation in the negotiations with the Government is renounced by Palestine Jewry.
In this connection, one of the resolutions adopted by the Assembly urges the Government to abolish the privilege of withdrawal from the Palestine Jewish Community.
LABOUR AGAINST LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: REAFFIRMATION OF LAST VAAD LEUMI’S DECLARATION: NO PART IN ANY PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTIONS SET UP TO PREVENT US REBUILDING OUR COUNTRY
On the question of the Legislative Council, Mr. Ben-Gurion announced to the Assembly that Labour is against it, and proposed acceptance of the Standing Committee’s motion to readopt the resolution of the last Vaad Leumi on October 23rd., which declares: “We shall take no part in, nor shall we recognise any Parliamentary institutions set up to prevent us from rebuilding our country”, and which was presented by Mr. Rutenberg, as President of the then Vaad Leumi to Sir John Chancellor, the High Commissioner, with a request to forward a copy to His Majesty’s Government in London.
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