Zionist Leaders Present Chief Issues of Congress

The letter which follows, addressed to the editor of “The New Way”, Yiddish organ of the Czechoslovakian Zionists was the last written by Dr. Chaim Arlosoroff. It is dated June 10.

“Before I leave for Palestine, I feel it my duty to say a few words to the friends of Labor Palestine in Czechoslovakia. The 18th Congress is meeting in an hour that is fatal for the Jewish nation, an hour unprecedented for seriousness and difficulty. The wave of Jewish distress rises higher and higher about us. Events in Germany, the effects of which cannot be prevented elsewhere irrespective of the political regime—have shown that the Jewish question is an important element in international politics, a question affecting public opinion throughout the world.

THE WILL-TO-LIVE

“We are in great need of a tribunal by means of which the Jewish question could be clarified in the eyes of the world. Wherever I have spoken I have emphasized my conviction that the 18th Congress must be adjusted to the issues of the day.

“The Congress must serve the purposes of a mighty demonstration of our national will-to-live. It must make all nations responsible for active participation in the solution of the Jewish problem. It must clarify the outlines of the plans the realization of which will dispel the crisis facing the Jewish people. The Congress must not, at this time, become an arena of untamed party passions and exaggerated internal differences. The Congress must speak openly, strongly, and unanimously.

“The internal questions of the movement which are to be decided must be taken up in closed sessions. The form which the sessions will take can easily be agreed upon. At such meetings everything could be carefully considered and discussed. including plans for future work and budget, colonization politics, organizational development of Zionism and the Jewish Agency, and the question of new leadership.

DANGERS OF REACTION

“In attempting to decide these questions we must first of all withstand the attacks of Zionist reaction, which draws its spiritual food and psychological effect from the anti-Semitic Eascist wave. Now that their political program which vacillates between the “{SPAN}#eventh{/SPAN} Dominion” and “non-cooperation” with the British government, between seeking a new mandatory power and the offer of a concealed military alliance without England, has been settled, and now that its political move to split the organization has ended in the tragi-comic “Duce Dictatorship,” the reactionaries take up the weapons with which they would like to overcome the progressive and liberal elements in Zionism and destroy the positions held by Jewish labor in Palestine.

We can withstand their onslaught only by concentrating all the positive elements in Zionism, at the heart of which is the Zionist labor movement, which together with the workers aim to insure the future of our development.

“From my visits in Czechoslovakia and Poland I gathered the impression that the reactionary Revisionist wave is receding and that everywhere there are enough forces in Zionism which are concentrated about us. I therefore turn not only to the men and women of my own party, not only to the members of the Zionist-Socialist and youth organizations, but also to all the friends of labor Palestine in the general Zionist camp and in other groups.

“I say to them that the victory of the Revisionist-reactionary party, with all its pseudo Revisionist following—if such a victory is at all possible—would mean the final split-up of the Zionist organization, the marching of brown-shirted storm-troopers in the streets of Palestine and the unavoidable danger of new clashes between them and organized labor, the downfall of the traditions of labor Palestine and the destruction of the foundations upon whose strength and wholeness the life of the Jews and their growth has until now depended.

“I know that our movement is strong enough to obviate the danger, provided that it will defend the ideals of labor Palestine loyally, watchfully and dutifully.”