U.S. Zionist Leaders Appeal to Congress for Aid to Israel; Oppose Merging of Drives

An appeal to the U.S. Congress to grant aid to the state of Israel was issued here last night by 400 leaders of the American Zionist movement at the end of a one-day conference held at the Hotel Astor under the auspices of the American Zionist Council.

The conference decided against plans suggested by the Council of the Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds for the setting up of a Central Israel Fund in the United States under which the special fund-raising campaigns conducted in this country by the Hadassah, Histadrut and the Hebrew University would be abolished. It also criticized a proposal by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds to create a national fund-raising machinery to succeed the United Jewish Appeal.

The decision taken by the conference urged the use of every educational medium “to point out the dangers of any attempt at this time to replace the United Jewish Appeal.” It emphasized that the effect of the Council’s plans would be “to create a divided American Jewish community as well as a complete disorganization in national fund-raising for overseas needs.” It also pointed out that a combining of all the special campaigns for Israel into one overall drive would not mean a proportionate increase in receipts of the local Jewish welfare funds.

“This conference,” the resolution said, “urges Zionists everywhere to mobilize their strength (a) to democratize the local welfare funds and the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds; (b) to make Zionist strength and influence felt in the leadership and policies of the local welfare funds and in the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds; (c) to support strongly the policy of the U.J.A. to secure by pre-campaign budgeting the major share of the local campaigns for the U.J.A. and support the U.J.A. wherever it may be forced to organize its own campaign, after failing to reach a satisfactory agreement with the local welfare funds with regard to the share of the U.J.A. in the local campaign.” The Zionist groups at the meeting included the Zionist Organization of America, Hadassah, Mizrachi, Labor Zionist Organization, Zionist-Revisionists, United Labor Zionist party, and Hashomer Hatzair.

COUNCIL OF JEWISH FEDERATIONS SAYS IT DOES NOT INTEND TO REPLACE U.J.A.

The Council of Jewish Federations, in a statement issued today by its executive director H. Lurie, pointed out that with regard to the proposal for a Central Israel Fund, “it is obvious that there can be an honest difference of opinion as to whether one federated campaign on behalf of Israel will produce more funds than a large number of separate operations.”

The experience of the welfare funds, the statement said, inclines most of the communities to feel that “a central campaign in which all Zionist and non-Zionist organizations concentrate their energies can be more productive in terms of dollars for Israel.” The statement emphasized that “such a plan, however, which requires the full cooperation of all agencies, can obviously not be put into effect without such cooperation.” It added that “it is doubtful whether the United Jewish Appeal can receive the maximum funds without the intensive participation of groups now concerned with independent fund-raising for Israel.”

“More important in our opinion than the central Israel funds is the development of a Central Israel Budget in which the leadership of Israel will determine, irrespective of who raises the funds, what the priority needs are in Israel for the use of the funds raised,” the statement continued. “It is encouraging that the Jewish Agency has given recognition to this fact and will begin to take some steps in order to bring the agencies for Israel together on a consultative and advisory basis. Such development will help to further the work now done by the Jewish Agency in its authorization of the separate indepondent campaigns.

“The proposal for a National Campaign Organization,” the statement stressed, “is not and was not ever intended to replace the United Jewish Appeal. Its only purpose is to suggest the method of filling the vacuum in the event–not contemplated for 1951–that the U.J.A. may no longer be in existence. It is, therefore, a longtime proposal which can be studied over the course of years and may never be put into effect, if the U.J.A. continues on its present scale as the major fund-raising instrument for overseas needs.

“With regard to pre-campaign budgeting, the Council has for many years advocated that its member agencies enter into arrangements with their beneficiary agencies in advance of the campaign so that each participant might know what to expect to receive from the proceeds of the campaign in the event the goal is reached, or surpassed, or if the welfare fund fails to reach its goal. This policy involves precampaign arrangements not only with the U.J.A. but with all member beneficiaries of the welfare funds,” the statement concluded.