Zoa, Hadassah Conventions Close; Ask Unrestricted Jewish Immigration to Palestine

A resolution demanding that “the gates of Palestine be opened to Jewish immigration;” that the Jewish Agency be vested with control of immigration into Palestine; and that “Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth integrated into the structure of the democratic world” was adopted last night at a joint session of the Zionist Organization of America and the Hadassah, meeting at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria.

The resolution also opposed the program of the newly-formed Ichud party, which advocates a bi-national state in Palestine, but endorsed “the policy of friendship and cooperation with the Arabs of Palestine affirmed by successive Zionist Congresses.”

Judge Louis E. Levinthal of Philadelphia was reelected president of the Zionist Organization and Dr. James G. Eeller of Cincinnati was reelected as chairman of the national advisory committee of the ZOA. Dr. Harry Friedenwald of Baltimore and Judge Julian Mack of New York were chosen as honorary vice-presidents.

Mrs. Tamar de Sola Pool was reelected president of Hadassah after a heated session provoked by her announcement that she did not wish to run for reelection because of the delegates’ adoption of the resolution repudiating the Ichud program. Since she had been a leader of the fight to have the Ichud policy endorsed by the Hadassah, Mrs. Pool said she did not feel that she should continue as president after the organization had demonstrated that it disagreed with her on this issue. However, she was eventually prevailed upon to accept the nomination and was elected. Miss Juliette Benjamin was reelected secretary of the Hadassah. At the same session the women’s Zionist organization adopted a budget of $1,210,000 for war emergency activities, health and education programs, child welfare, refugee care and land reclamation work in Palestine. The delegates voted to send $5,000 to Miss Henrietta Szold in Palestine “to be used for any project she wishes to further.”

At the final combined session, at the Manhattan Center today, Mayor La Guardia, Mrs. Pool, Louis Lipsky, former president of the ZOA, and Dr. Alexander Loudon, Netherlands Ambassador to the United States were among the speakers. Dr. Stephen S. Wise, who presided, referring to last night’s joint session at which the resolution calling for a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine had been adopted, declared that “the common action of the two organizations spelled the certain end of all defeatism.” Mrs. Pool, discussing Palestine’s part in the war, declared that “the Free French and the Free Poles have a foothold in the Middle Eastern battle area today only because free men live in Palestine.” Mr. Lipsky assailed the British administration of the Palestine mandate and emphasized that the Jews there have “used their opportunities to their own credit and to the credit of the Empire.” Dr. Loudon also lauded Palestine’s war efforts for their great value to the United Nations.

Also stressing the role that Palestine is playing in the Allied war effort in the Near East, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, who was unable to be present at the convention because he is convalescing from a recent illness, sent a message in which he urged that the democracies of the world, including the United States, further the demand of the Jewish people “to rebuild Palestine as their commonwealth, free and unhampered,” Dr. Weizmann’s message deprecated Britain’s failure to make full use of the available Jewish manpower in Palestine. He appealed to American Zionists to maintain unity in their ranks so as to best foster the Zionist cause.