The agreement reached in Jerusalem recently on expanding the scope of the work of the American Zionist Council by transferring part of the activities of the American Section of the Jewish Agency to the Council, was approved “in principle” by the national executive committee of the Zionist Organization of America last night following an all-day debate. The vote was 17 to 5, with many abstentions.
The agreement was concluded among Israel’s Premier David Ben Gurion, leaders of the Jewish Agency and the presidents of the four largest American Zionist groups — the Z. O. A., Hadassah, Zionist Laborites and Mizrachi. The text of the resolution on the agreement adopted last night by the national executive committee of the Z. O. A. reads:
“Having heard the president’s report on the agreement reached in Jerusalem to recommend to the respective Zionist organizations in the United States a program which proposes the extension of the activities of the American Zionist Council, the national executive committee approves the agreement in principle and authorizes the president, together with a committee which he shall appoint, to pursue the matter further in inter-party discussions with all of the organizations concerned. it being understood that the results of such discussions will be submitted for decision to this National Executive Committee.
“In conducting these inter-party discussions, the representatives of the Z. O. A. will be guided by the resolution adopted by our 55th annual convention which called for the strengthening of the American Zionist Council and the broadening of its scope. A decade of experience has convincingly demonstrated that the American Zionist Council derives the major portion of its strength and effectiveness from the fullest utilization of the leadership, membership and authority of the Z. O. A.
“If the American Zionist Council is to carry out the program agreed upon in Jerusalem it will require in the future as in the past, the most effective utilization of the full resources of the Z. O. A. It is the earnest desire of this executive committee that the representatives of the Z. O. A. in the inter-party negotiations shall seek to insure that the proposed reorganization of the American Zionist Council shall reflect these realities.”
DR. GOLDMANN URGES CONVOCATION OF AMERICAN ZIONIST ASSEMBLY
Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish Agency executive, who just returned from the World Zionist Actions Committee sessions in Jerusalem, in his address, stressed the necessity of American Zionists becoming more active in American Jewish life and devoting more attention to the problems of community life and work among American Jews. He said that this kind of work can only be carried out effectively with the full cooperation of various Zionist groups, especially as there are no real ideological differences among them.
Dr. Goldmann further stated that the Zionists should find a way to express their united strength. To accomplish this purpose, an assembly of American Zionists should be convened, he said. Other speakers included Dr. Israel Goldstein, Abraham Goodman, and Dr. Sidney Marks, Z. O. A. executive director, who reported on organizational activities.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
