Zionist Organization Stands for Dr. Wise As Chairman of Palestine Appeal

What can be regarded as an official statement by the Zionist Organization is contained in an appeal by Louis Lipsky, published in the New Palestine of January 1.

“In spite of unusually grave difficulties, the United Palestine Appeal has forged its way into the heart of American Jewry, and become its dominant interest,” the statement read. As our tried and loyal workers in a number of cities were preparing for public action, and conditions seemed auspicious for a successful effort, enabling us for the first time in our history to place $5,000,000 in the service of Palestine, an indirect attack has been launched against the United Palestine Appeal through the hasty, ill-considered and irregular action of the Agudath Harabonim, based on garbled versions of a sermon delivered by Dr. Wise in the Free Syangogue on Sunday, December 20th.

“Zionists know that our principles preclude the possibility of agreement with the views on the central figure of Christianity attributed to Dr. Wise which he has categorically denied. But this attack on Dr. Wise has been directed against him not as a minister of the Jewish religion, but as the Chairman of the United Palestine Appeal. A controversy has been aroused which threatens to become a Chillul Ha’shem; and if Zionists will allow themselves to be drawn into the controversy not only will the United Palestine Appeal suffer grievous harm, but the principles upon which Zionism rests may be seriously impaired.

“As Chairman of the Zionist Organization of America, I therefore call upon all organized Zionists not to allow this controversy to become a Zionist issue. It is not relevant to the purposes and ideals of the United Palestine Appeal.

“During the past few months we have so impressed American Jewry with the great value of the Zionist ideal, as represented by the New Palestine that is in the process of being established, that an almost unanimous desire to cooperate in our work has been created. This remarkable interest should not be allowed to be broken by any action on the part of organized Zionists. You should not allow a controversy, which does not belong on the Zionist agenda, to obscure the great purpose represented by the United Palestine Appeal.

“Our first duty is toward Palestine.”

ZIONISM WILL BE DISASTROUS FAILURE IF RABBIS VIEW POINT PREVAILS, NEW YORK WORLD SAYS

New York World of January 1st commented on the Wise controversy in the following editorial:

“Dr. Wise and the Fundamentalist Rabbis

“With the doctrinal matters at issue between Rabbi Wise and the Fundamentalist rabbis this newspaper is not concerned. There is, however, a public aspect which is important. Dr. Wise is the Chairman of a committee which is raising money to be spent on the development of Palestine. And it now appears that because he has said something which does not suit the Fundamentalist rabbis he must resign his office. The Union of Orthodox Rabbis seems to think that Zionism is the private property of those who can meet some sort of strict religious test.

“It that should prove to be the case, if it should turn out that Zionism is not merely a cultural and national movement of Eastern Jews into Palestine but an attempt to set up a theocracy and an established church in Palestine, then it would hardly be a movement which liberal people throughout the world would care to encourage. There is plenty of intolerance and sufficient heresy-hunting on this globe and more than enough in the Near East without establishing a new centre for it in Palestine. The attack on Dr. Wise in substance and in manner indicates a state of mind which is certainly not suited to the development of a new, free and progressive civilization in the Near East.

“Under the best circumstances, with the wisest leadership, Zionism will be an immensely difficult and doubtful experiment. In the state of mind exhibited by these Fundamentalist rabbis it would be a certain and disastrous failure.”