U.S. Will Not Forsake Israel, Goldmann Assures Actions Committee

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, addressing the session of the Zionist Actions Committee here last night, predicted that the United States will identify itself more and more with the Asian bloc in order to prevent the Asian countries from identifying themselves with the Soviets.

This does not mean that if Israel’s very existence is endangered, the United States will sit on sidelines to win Arab friendship, Dr. Goldmann stressed. He added that the United Nations has become a third world power beside the United States and the Soviet Union, and pointed out that in the UN, the Asian countries have a growing influence.

If and when the United Nations establishes a commission to deal with the Arab-Israel question, such a commission may under the exiting circumstances have a composition from which such peace proposals may result that it would perhaps be better for Israel to have present status quo continued, Dr. Goldmann warned. He added that the political struggle for Israel may be a long one and that there are many dangers ahead.

The world Zionist leader emphasized that while American Jewry is solidly behind Israel, it is not “in Israel’s pocket,” American Jewry, he said, is an “independent factor” and must be cultivated and educated by Israel. He emphasized that while American Jews are ready to oppose the State Department’s Middle East policy, they will not go against American Jews. “There is no reason to complain about American Jewry” with regard to their attitude on the Sinai crisis, Dr. Goldmann stated.

Reporting on Zionist activities in the United States. Dr. Goldmann said that Zionist leadership and activity during the Sinai crisis–as in general at present–was less evident because independent Zionist action was less necessary in view of the fact that the “Presidents Club,” in which presidents of 16 major American Jewish organizations are participating, is working effectively. But the Zionist leadership in the United States is active, he assured the Actions Committee.

Dr. Goldmann dwelt at great length on the generosity of American Jewry this year in its financial assistance to Israel. He reported that the United Jewish Appeal will this year raise probably more than in any other year in its existence. Also, that Israel bonds are being sold more than during the first year when the sale of bonds was launched in the United States.

With regard to the fact that the Zionist movement has not shown sufficient political initiative, Dr. Goldmann pointed out that for eight years the movement has been trained not to mix in political problems. The movement, he said, has not been consulted by Israel and is receiving only scarce information from Israel. “Despite all this American Jewry is fully supporting Israel,” he stressed.

70,000 IMMIGRANTS DUE IN ISRAEL DURING NEXT NINE MONTHS

S.Z. Shragai, head of the immigration department of the Jewish Agency, told the Actions Committee this morning that arrangements must be made to receive 70,000 immigrants in the next nine months. He said that 100,000 North African Jews were deeply disappointed in the Agency and in the Jewish nation because it had failed to remove them from North Africa. It is imperative, he insisted, that all Jews be mobilized to save those who are in urgent need of emigration at this time.

Mr. Shargai estimated that there were more than 5,000 Jewish refugees among 120,000 persons who had fled Hungary, explaining that there were relatively few Jews living in the areas from which the refugees came. He admitted that anti-Israel propaganda among the refugees had kept many of them from registering for immigration to Israel, but that the situation had changed recently, particularly since representatives of the Klauswitzer Rabbi have been circulating among the refugees stressing positive reasons for going to Israel.

The Agency immigration leader discounted reports that the expulsion of Jews from Egypt and the wholesale confiscation of their property resulted from Israel’s Sinai operation. He said that he had information that indicated that the Egyptian authorities had planned these moves before the Sinai campaign.

He reported on the details of Egyptian torture of 34 Jews who arrived here today after being imprisoned 24 days in Egypt and then expelled. Egyptian jailors, he said, refused the Jews elementary sanitation facilities, compelled them to hold their hands above their heads for two days and beat them whenever exhaustion forced them to lower their arms, and otherwise abused them.