Z.O.A. Calls Upon Zionist Congress to Abandon ‘outmoded’ Structure

The rebuilding of the Jewish people everywhere “into one cohesive entity,” and the reactivation of the world Zionist movement politically in cooperation with responsible non-Zionist bodies in defense of Jewish rights, will be among the major proposals to be submitted by leaders of the Zionist Organization of America and the World Union of General Zionists at the forthcoming 26th World Zionist Congress, which will open in Jerusalem on December 30.

This was disclosed at an all-day meeting of the national executive council of the Zionist Organization of America, the governing body of the organization between annual conventions, held today at the Statler Hilton Hotel. Dr. Max Nussbaum, ZOA president, stressed the new approach of the forthcoming Congress in contrast to all previous World Zionist Congresses, in that for the first time in the main it will deal with “proclaiming to the world that the State of Israel and the Zionist movement are combining forces for the purpose of re-establishing the unity of the Jewish people in its spiritual and historical concept.”

Dr. Nussbaum cautioned that, irrespective of the plans evolved by the World Zionist Congress on this score, implementation of this program can only be carried out if the Zionist movement in the lands of the diaspora will abandon its “anachronistic and outmoded” structure of party politics and assume the leadership of the Jewish communities in the free world in the name of a unified Zionist movement.”

He emphasized that “the time has come, particularly in the United States, to give serious thought to the establishment of a Zionist Federation which will encompass all Zionist groups and concentrate in its purview all major Zionist activities which are now being conducted in many cases in duplicate form by each of the respective Zionist groups.”

NEUMANN STRESSES NEED FOR REAPPRAISAL OF JEWISH POSITION

Dr. Emanuel Neumann, president of the World Union of General Zionists, in his address, stressed the need for “a critical reappraisal of the Jewish position in many countries and the ongoing struggle for Jewish survival in the modern world.” He asserted that “these are not altogether separate and distinct from the problems confronting Israel but are often closely related. The conflict between Israel and the Arab states has broadened and is having its repercussions even on Jewish communities in countries under democratic regimes,” he said.

Dr. Neumann further asserted that “emissaries and agents of numerous Arab states are developing a virulent anti-Jewish and blatantly anti-Semitic propaganda, linking up with neo-Nazi and neo-Fascist elements wherever they exist. The apparatus of Arab governments with their diplomatic facilities and large budgets are being harnessed in this campaign.” The Zionist leader maintained that “this constitutes a new and serious problem, not exclusively Israeli in scope, but falling within the province of Zionist and Jewish responsibility.”

Citing the threats to the future of all Jewish communities in many parts of the world, Dr. Heumann declared that “the Zionist movement, devoted as it is to the welfare of Israel, cannot divest itself of responsibility for the future of diaspora Jewry.” He urged that the “World Zionist Organization, originally created as a political instrumentality on behalf of the Jewish people, must now reactivate itself politically in cooperation with other responsible Jewish bodies in defense of Jewish rights and interests, both in Israel and in the diaspora.”

Abraham Goodman, president of the ZOA Foundation, which was established three months ago, announced that the Foundation has already secured over $1,000,000 in wills and bequests for the benefit of the educational projects of the ZOA in this country and its major projects in Israel, particularly the Kfar Silver agricultural vocational training school named for the late Dr. Abba Hillel Silver. Augmenting this report, Isaac Oberman, secretary of the Foundation’s board, presented a plan calling for a goal for the coming year of $2,000,000 in wills and bequests for the projects financed by the Foundation.