The World Zionist Actions Committee adopted a resolution today expressing the solidarity of the Zionist movement with the people of Israel “in their struggle to safeguard the sovereignty, security and free development of the Jewish State.”
In another resolution, the supreme Zionist body between World Zionist congresses expressed its sympathy for the Zionist leaders imprisoned in Rumania and demanded that the Rumanian Government open the gates for all Jews who wish to migrate to Israel.
Presenting the resolutions to the meeting, S. Levenberg, Jewish Agency representative in London, stated that the Anglo-Egyptian agreement on the Suez Canal zone opens a new chapter in the Middle East. ”There are some optimists who would like to believe that some understanding between Israel and Egypt is possible, ” he went on, “but unfortunately the present situation causes great concern.”
“The East and the West try to win Arab goodwill, ” he said, “and at this hour the Zionist movement and the Jewish people will rally to Israel which is anxious to go on with its creative development. “He concluded with an appeal to the British Government and people to do everything possible to aid Israel in the present situation.
ADOPTS BUDGET OF 111, 800, OOP POUNDS FOR JEWISH AGENCY
The Actions Committee today adopted a 111, 800, 000 pound budget for the Jewish Agency’s activities for the coming fiscal year. The major portion of the budget, 66, 000,000 pounds, has been allocated for agricultural settlement work.
The Actions Committee also ratified unanimously the agreement between the Israel Government and the Jewish Agency providing a special status for the Agency’s activities in Israel.
Eliahu Dobkin, head of the Agency’s organization department, made a strong plea for reorganization of the Zionist organization outside Israel on the basis of territorial federations. Under his proposal, members would be admitted to the federations on the basis of personal affiliation with the overall organization, rather than en affiliation with one of the Zionist parties.
Israel’s Finance Minister Levi Eshkol told the session that the Jewish Agency now had 420 settlements which it had established and for which it was responsible, 393 of which had been set up since the State of Israel was proclaimed. He said that some 30, 000 families make their living in these settlements and cultivate some 3,590, 000 dunams (875,000 acres) of land.
Members of the Actions Committee today attended the ceremony of laying a cornerstone for the archives which will be part of the Yad Veshem–the Israel memorial to the 6, 000,000 Jews martyred in Europe by the Nazis. Also present at the ceremony were President Itzhak Ben Zvi and members of the Israel Cabinet. The ceremony was broadcast on a national radio hook-up.
The archives and library will house some 15, 000,000 documents–letters, official orders and books–touching upon ‘the tragedy of European Jewry. The building, which will be completed within about one year, will cost 1, 200,000 pounds. The funds are being contributed by the Israel Government, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Jewish Agency, national funds and private contributors.
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