Policy of New Executive Embodies in Main Principles of Policy Pursued by Dr. Weizmann Since War and

The Seventeenth Zionist Congress assembled during a period of unparalleled difficulty and anxiety in the history of our movement, says a manifesto issued to-day by the English Zionist Federation, signed by Dr. Eder, the President, Dr. Selig Brodetsky, member of the Zionist World Executive, Sir Montague Burton, Mr. Simon Marks, Mr. I.M. Sieff, Mr. Morris Myer, and other officers of the Federation. It was faced, it continues, with a crisis both political and economic, the magnitude of which it would be difficult to over-estimate. Whilst we profoundly regret the circumstances which led to the retirement of Dr. Weizmann, the manifesto goes on, it is gratifying that the Statement of Policy read out by Mr. Sokolov, President of the new Executive, embodies in the main the principles of the policy pursued by Dr. Weizmann and his Executive since the War, and particularly since the disturbances of 1929. It was for this reason that the British Zionist Delegation to Congress supported Professor Brodetsky’s entry into the new Executive, and British Zionists have thus to face a special responsibility for the work of the Executive, and to render every possible assistance.

The immediate task of the movement is to meet the difficulties arising out of the grave economic crisis in Palestine, which has been accentuated through the world economic depression. With this end in view, it was agreed at the Congress at Basle to launch a special emergency campaign for Palestine to consolidate the existing agricultural colonies, and we appeal to all Jews in England to give their whole-hearted support to this campaign, and, through their generous contributions to the Keren Hayesod, to assist the Zionist Organisation not only to meet current obligations, but also to enable our pioneers in Eretz Israel to go forward with the great work which they have carried on in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles.