Young and Old Delegates to Zionist Conference Clash over Ideology and Tactics

The generation gap exploded at the Zionist General Council (Actions Committee) session here last night where youthful delegates demanded a complete revamping of the leadership of the Zionist movement to bring it in tune with the times. They threatened either to walk out of the sessions or disrupt them unless demands for world-wide elections for a new leadership are met by Sunday afternoon. The demands coupled with attacks on the present leaders of the Zionist movement, were made by youngsters representing the whole political and ideological gamut, from the left-wing Hashomer Hatzair to the religious Zionist youth of Bnei Akiva. They were supported in many of their claims by members of the older generation, notably Yaacov Tsur, head of the Jewish National Fund and Avraham Schenker, head of the Jewish Agency’s organization and information department.

Youth and student elements disrupted last year’s Zionist Council deliberations and almost did it again last night. They attacked the Zionist leadership as “a petrified establishment which has lost its sense of purpose, whose members gather annually to hear themselves speak.” Yaacov Tsur’s son, Mooky, a kibbutz member, bitterly attacked American Zionism which, he claimed “does not emanate from the desire to help anyone but itself.”

YOUTH DELEGATES REBUKED BY SOME FOR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE AND DEFENDED BY OTHERS

The youngsters were angrily rebuked by some of their elders. Mrs. Rose L. Halprin, of New York, former chairman of the Jewish Agency’s American section whose Zionist credentials date back to the 1920s, accused the youth delegates of saying only what should not be done. She said she was willing to meet with them to hear “constructive proposals if they had any.” Earlier, Emanuel Neumann, 74 year-old chairman of the American section, rejected proposals that Zionist leaders bridge the gap between the movement and Jewish youth by learning the language of youth and discussing the basic issues with them in their own language. Dr. Neumann claimed that no new ideology was needed. According to him, the problem was “youthful ignorance” and too shallow acquaintance with Zionist ideals.

Mr. Tsur, a 64 year-old Zionist leader who has had a distinguished diplomatic career including a four year term as Israel’s Ambassador to France, sided with the youngsters’ criticism. He said last night, “I joined a militant movement and it has degenerated into an establishment. It has not begotten new forces. We have closed ourselves in an ivory tower.” Mr. Schenker, aged 52 and American-born, said. “I appeal to the Zionist movement to be sufficiently courageous to be reborn. I think that a movement which does not want to become a mere organization must be reborn many times, perhaps once every generation.” He said the Zionist movement must attract a new, younger element of leadership and therefore its membership drive must go hand-in-hand with ideological discussions. Murray Winston, an Aliyah representative from Canada, said North American Jews would come to Israel only if they were assured of “elementary demands”–housing and jobs.