situation would never have arisen because the greater the achievements in Palestine, the stronger we would have become politically. That is why we devoted our energy to the Keren Hayesod, viewing it as a tremendous political factor.” This was his answer to those who had taunted him that there were more problems in America than in London.
Dr. Weizmann also said that he had always felt it necessary “to speed up the creation of values in Palestine which in the long run count more than anything else. Unfortunately, we were caught in a period of transition, which perhaps made the work a little more difficult for the moment, but there is no reason to lose courage; but, on the contrary, it should inspire the Jewish people to more vigorous effort.
“The success of the work during the last decade was a thorn in the eyes of our enemies, and, while on the one hand I am convinced that with a larger number of Jews in Palestine the August tragedy would not have happened, on the other hand, with a smaller number, the Jewish community would have been shattered, which again proves the urgent need of proceeding with the practical work.” Declaring that he had complete faith in the Jewish people, Dr. Weizmann concluded by saying, “There may be differences regarding methods, but regarding the fundamentals of Zionism there is no divergence of opinion.”
Isaac Gruenbaum, a member of the Polish Parliament, President of the Polish Zionist Federation, and one of the leaders of the radical Zionist group (in opposition to Dr. Weizmann), thought it fruitless to discuss the past and said that with the new epoch a new system should be evolved. Mr. Gruenbaum declared that the present policy “is lacking in initiative, as a result of which there is a shrinkage from Herzl’s Zionism. Achad Ha’am’s Zionism was sterile, too rationalistic and too calculated to be fruitful.”
Pointing out that he differs fundamentally from the Revisionist conception, he expressed his agreement in many respects with Dr. Ruppin’s colonization plan.
Nahum Sokolow, Chairman of the World Zionist Executive, did not share the view of M. M. Ussishkin, head of the Jewish National Fund, to single out colonization as supreme, maintaining that immigration and colonization are equally important. Mr. Sokolow said that only another wave of immigration could rescue the Jewish youth who would otherwise be lost due to the trying position of the Jews of Eastern Europe, not only in the material sense but also in the spiritual.
Kurt Blumenfeld, President of the German Zionist Federation, expressed his support of Dr. Weizmann’s political views and objected to the continued allegations that the German Zionists tend towards a weakening policy in spite of the resolutions adopted at the Jena conference.
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.
