Zionist Congress Decides Not to Elect New Executive at Present Session

The 26th World Zionist Congress will close tonight without electing a new executive because negotiations regarding the inclusion of the Herut Party in the executive have broken down.

The Congress steering committee adopted a proposal made by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, asking that the Congress at this time elect only the president of WZC and the chairman of the executive–the posts now held, respectively, by Dr. Goldmann and Moshe Sharett. Under the Goldmann proposal, the election of the next executive would be left to the Zionist Actions Committee. Until the Actions Committee acts on these elections, the present executive would continue in office.

The resolution for the adoption of the Goldmann plan was backed by the labor parties and the Confederation of General Zionists headed by Dr. Israel Goldstein and Mrs. Rose Halprin. Herut opposed the plan, while the World Union of General Zionists, headed by Dr. Emanuel Neumann, and the Mizrachi, abstained.

The steering committee’s adoption of the Goldmann plan came after days of negotiations, during which Herut demanded that it be given two seats on the executive, consonant with Herut’s representation in the Congress. The Mizrachi and the Neumann General Zionists supported the Herut claim, while the labor parties opposed Herut’s inclusion entirely. The Confederation wanted to continue the present arrangement under which Herut has one non-departmental seat in the executive, but could not obtain labor support for that view.

Today’s decision was reached when the labor parties threatened that they would refuse to join the executive if Herut were given two seats. Herut, on the other hand, threatened that, if it were refused “due representation” through two seats, it would take its cause to the world Zionist movement.

Observers here felt that the labor’s attitude had been prompted by the internal situation in Israel and labor’s concern with the forthcoming general elections and Histadrut elections. The Jerusalem Post stated today that Prime Minister Levi Eshkol reportedly supported the Herut claim in principle, but feared to try to influence the developments, lest he antagonize elements in his own Mapai Party and in other labor parties.

Mcanwhile, Yaacov Tsur, chairman of the Jewish National Fund world directorate, reporting to the finance committee of the Congress, said that implementation of the JNF program for the next four years would require 240,000,000 pounds ($80, 000, 000), of which half was expected from contributions and the balance from income from JNF property. He urged the Zionist movement to see the JNF as an instrument for deepening national consciousness, attracting new circles and educating youth.