Top-ranking leaders of the Zionist Organization of America today reaffirmed the “strictly non-partisan” stand of the organization and its “politically uncommitted” position in the current national election campaign. They emphasized that, while American Zionists as individuals exercise their rights as citizens and vote for candidates of their preference, the Zionist organization as such “neither support nor oppose either of the major parties.”
This policy was set forth at the final session of a two-day meeting of the national executive council of the ZOA, its ruling body between annual conventions, at the Hotel Biltmore, by Dr. Max Nussbaum of Hollywood, Calif., president of the ZOA; and Dr. Emanuel Neumann, member of the American section of the Jewish Agency executive, and honorary president of the ZOA. Several hundred Zionist leaders from all parts of the country attended. Jacques Torczyner, of New York chairman of the national executive council, presided. A guest speaker was Louis Pincus, treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel, now on a visit to this country.
Dr. Nussbaum, in his address, asserted that “from the very beginning of the struggle for the re-establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine, our cause has received the whole hearted support of leaders of both major parties. Every president of the United States, from Woodrow Wilson to President Johnson, has publicly voiced approval of the establishment of a Jewish national homeland.
“Both Houses of the U. S. Congress, in joint resolutions adopted on several occasions, unanimously endorsed the cause of a Jewish State, and both the Democratic and Republican parties at their Conventions since 1944 incorporated a plank favoring the cause of a Jewish State in their platform. Thus, Israel has always had friends on both sides of the American political life. The American Zionist movement has always been non-partisan. Its vast membership is comprised of adherents of both parties and vote for the candidates of their choice.”
NEUMANN EMPHASIZES BIPARTISAN SUPPORT; NUSSBAUM COMMENTS ON GOP PLANK
Dr. Neumann, in his address, underscoring the adherence of the ZOA to its tradition of non-partisanship, further stressed that “as a Zionist organization, we are concerned specifically with nurturing American-Israel friendship.”
He asserted that “it is well to bear in mind that friendship and support for Israel has long been the traditional policy of the United States, firmly based on bi-partisan support, and a wide consensus of American opinion.” Dr. Neumann further said that, “as citizens, we have our preferences, and as citizens it is our duty to register our convictions; but as an organization we neither support nor oppose either of the major parties.”
While Dr. Nussbaum expressed regret that for the first time since 1944 no direct reference to Israel was made in the Republican plank, the ZOA president also pointed out that the plank reaffirmed the pledge contained in the 1960 plank of the party. That plank committed the Republican Party to “continue to support the integrity and independence of all the states of that area including Israel and the Arab States.”
He voiced the hope that “the leaders of the Republican Party, recognizing the comity of interest between America and Israel and that the security of Israel is interlinked with the future of democracy in the free world, will soon augment their plank with an official statement clarifying their position in an unequivocal manner that will demonstrate to the nation their traditional base of friendship toward Israel.”
TORCZYNER URGES ‘DIGNITY’ ON ECUMENICAL COUNCIL ISSUE
Mr. Torczyner, who presided, voiced gratification at what he called “a sobering attitude among American Jewry in relation to the forthcoming session of the Ecumenical Council in Rome.” He pointed to the statements of religious leaders of two distinct denominations of American Jewry–Rabbi Leon Feuer, head of the Reform Rabbinate, and Rabbi Joseph Solovichik, leader of Orthodox Jewry, who urged the adoption of “an attitude of dignity and reserve in regard to the relations between Jews and the Catholic Church.” He heartily supported the viewpoint of these leaders that the responsibility for the elimination of anti-Semitism is the responsibility of the Catholic Church without “prodding” on the part of Jews.
He also charged that anti-Semitism is again on the upsurge in West Germany, asserting that officers of the West German army are using anti-Semitic invectives in the training of new recruits. He also urged the sending of a Zionist mission to Latin America, to meet with Latin American Jews on the problems of anti-Semitism in those countries.
I. S. Turover, of Washington, national convention chairman of the ZOA, announced the program for the forthcoming 67th annual convention of the organization, which will be held at the Hotel Willard in Washington, beginning October 1 through October 4. He announced that the convention will be addressed by outstanding leaders of both Democratic and Republican parties, as well as by distinguished leaders of the world Zionist movement and Israel.
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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.
