Zionist Congress Asks World Powers to Arm Israel; Issues Manifesto

The World Zionist Congress, by unanimous vote, adopted last night a manifesto calling on the countries of the world to supply Israel with defensive arms and warning against any attempt to impose a peace settlement on the Jewish State. The statement, which warned the Great Powers that if war breaks out they will be held responsible because of their refusal to arm Israel while the Arab states are being given weapons, reads:

“The 24th World Zionist Congress meets at a time of grave anxiety for the young Sate of Israel. In eight years of its existence, we have witnessed with pride the rapid growth and consolidation of the state. Nearly 800,000 immigrants, remnants of the great European catastrophe and refugees from Middle East countries, have found a welcome home in Israel and are being integrated into one nation in its ancient homeland.

“The survivors of the dread Nazi concentration camps and former inmates of ghettos in the Middle East are molding themselves into free and proud citizens of a modern democratic state. The new generation that is growing up knows neither servitude nor oppression. The spiritual heritage preserved by the Jewish people throughout the centuries of dispersion are being restated in the new reality of daily life in Israel.

“This unique achievement is being imperiled by the hostility of Egypt and other Arab states. It is a senseless hostility, for Israel threatens nobody. Its energies are concentrated on the development of its homeland and the renaissance of its people. Israel’s experience and example may indeed serve as a significant factor in the social and economic reconstruction of the whole Middle East, a problem now engaging the serious attention of statesmen throughout the world.

“The Zionist Congress, representing a movement which through the efforts and sacrifices of its heroic pioneers and fighters have brought Israel into being, meets in a moment fraught with dangers for the state. The Arab states, which have openly declared their aggressive intention toward Israel, are receiving arms from East and West, while Israel is denied the right to secure weapons to deter would be aggressors and to enable it to ward off attack.

“This refusal by the Great Powers to recognize Israel’s fundamental rights to arms for self-defense is morally and politically indefensible. The Arab states are attaining superiority in military equipment, both quantitatively and qualitatively. This imbalance must speedily be redressed. Israel must be enabled to assure its own safety. The dangers facing Israel constitute a grave threat to world peace. Should the conflagration break out, the Great Powers, both of the East and the West, will not escape responsibility in the eyes of history.

“In this crucial hour we call on all nations and men of goodwill to support Israel in the struggle for its very survival. Israel does not ask any other nation to fight for it, but it rightfully demands to be provided with adequate weapons to enable its sons and daughters to defend their country and its sovereignty. The Congress expresses its belief and faith in the necessity and possibility of a lasting peace between the Arab and Israel peoples. There must be no imposed settlement. Peace must be achieved by agreement, freely reached between Israel and the Arab states.

“Israel is one of the most ancient nations of the Middle East, of which it is an integral part. By a tragic fate, this people was uprooted from its homeland. It has now returned to the land of its origin to rebuild there its national life in peace, dignity and security. This is a significant hour in the life of the Middle East. We pray that its people may find the way to peace and cooperation.

“The Zionist Congress records with deep appreciation that in this crisis Israel has not stood alone: It has received from many parts of the world heartening evidence of a deep sympathy and moral support which has been a source of great encouragement for our people in its hour of trial.

“On this solemn occasion the 24th World Zionist Congress proclaims the indissoluble historical bond between the Jewish people and the land of Israel. It calls on Jews through out the world to fulfill their responsibility toward the State of Israel by rallying to its well-being and security. In this hour every Jewish called upon to do his duty–the Almighty will stand by his people.”