Dr. A. J. Rongy, chairman of the National Council of the Zionist Organization of America, made public today a letter to Dr.A. Coralnik, associate editor of The Day, warning that the forthcoming World Jewish Congress “will be productive of more harm than good.
Replying to statements Dr. Coralnik had made at a meeting of the Z.O.A. administrative committee, Dr. Rongy contended the congress might undermine the Jewish position in America, give Hitler an opportunity to capitalize the Jews’ “internationalism,” and divert the energy of the Jews from Zionism.
Dr. Coralnik’s position, as expressed in an article released by the American Jewish Congress, is that the congress is necessary to provide a Jewish representation, create permanency and continuity, and to carry to the League of Nations the Jews’ demands for peace, justice and equality.
Dr. Rongy said in his letter that “certainly no uniform method of treatment could be formulated or applied, which would be equally applicable to all sections of Jewry.” He declared that different Jewish communities had different problems which necessitated separate treatment.
He declared that a “separatist movement” in America was likely to “become so dangerous that it eventually may undermine the Jewish position here,” adding that “the Jews should be the last national group in this country to introduce an ideology which has an element of Fascism.”
“A congress,” Dr. Rongy continued, “which is organized in a precipitate manner, representing no constructive program, eliminating democratic election by the Jewish masses and leaving some of the most important sections of Jewry unrepresented, pushed forward only by the vociferous ‘yammers’ in Jewish life, is bound to resound with lamentations and will only establish a new ‘wailing wall.'”
Discussing the congress in reference to Palestine, Dr. Rongy claimed it would stimulate and precipitate a pan-Arabic congress, tend to create greater friction between the Jews and Arabs and would divert Zionist energy into other channels.”
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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.
