Twenty-five Diplomatic Missions to Attend World Zionist Congress Opening

Twenty-five diplomatic missions have announced that they will send representatives to observe the 27th World Zionist Congress which opens here Sunday. The observers will include representatives of the United States and Great Britain, but not of France. The Congress will be opened officially with an address by President Zalman Shazar at the convention hall Sunday night following the recitation of the Mincha prayer at the West Wall. Another feature will be a parade of Zionist flags, dating from the flag designed by Theodor Herzl — seven gold stars on a white field.

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, will serve as president of the Congress. Dr. Goldmann, however, has declared that he will not stand for re-election to the WZO presidency. Congress plenary sessions will be addressed by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir. Foreign Minister Abba Eban and Labor Minister Yigal Allon. Former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion who was reported earlier to have requested an opportunity to address the Congress has not yet informed the preparatory committee if he actually intends to speak. Mr. Ben-Gurion announced that he would attend the Congress sessions and he will be given the floor if he wishes, according to Moshe Rivlin, director-general of the Jewish Agency.

The principal topics of discussion at the Congress will be the re-organization of the Jewish Agency and a plan to reduce the number of departments and, consequently, the number of members of its executive; the admission to WZO membership of groups that are not affiliated with Zionist parties and the establishment of national Zionist organizations in which individuals may enroll without party affiliation.