Jabotinsky Sees Zionist Pact Violated

Charging the World Zionist Executive with “deliberate infringement both in spirit and in letter” of the peace pact signed between himself and David Ben Gurion in London, Vladimir Jabotinsky, leader of the Zionist Revisionist party yesterday announced that “any further peace negotiations with the present Zionist Executive alone would be futile.” Mr. Jabotinsky demands in his statement that a round table conference of all Zionist parties be called. Otherwise, he warns, “peace within Zionism is in ###eater danger than ever before.”

The charges of the Executive’s breach of faith are founded on Jabotinsky’s contention that obstacles are still being placed in the path of Revisionists who seek immigration certificates to Palestine. Mr. Jabotinsky also contends that the warning recently issued by the Executive against supporting the Tel Hai fund which the Revisionists have established is a violation of the London agreement. Another charge which Mr. Jabotinsky makes is that the Zionist Executive intends to change the printed text of the “shekolim.” The reason for this projected change, Jabotinsky asserts, is to convert the shekel into a narrow partisan membership and thus make Revisionist participation in the next Zionist Congress impossible.

TEXT OF STATEMENT

The text of Mr. Jabotinsky’s statement follows:

“One of the three agreements concluded in London, at Mr. Rutenberg’s initiative, between Mr. Ben Gurion on behalf of the Zionist Executive and myself on behalf of the Revisionist Union, stipulated that both sides should suspend certain reprisals against each other, namely:

“1.—The Zionist Executive should suspend the ban on Betar certificates, restoring all the rights of the Betar with regard to Hachshara and Aliya;

“2.—The Revisionist Union and the Betar should suspend the boycott of the Zionist Funds.

“It now appears that the Zionist Executive has failed to carry out its obligations: unsurmountable

HOLDS EXECUTIVE BLOCKS ENTRY; SCORES TEL HAI WARNING

obstacles are still being placed, almost in every country, in the way of the Betar Halutzim applying for certificates.

“On the other hand, the Jewish Agency has issued a statement calculated to obstruct the success of the Tel Hai Fund—an obviously unloyal act since we have, under the agreement, stopped all attacks of the Funds of the Zionist Organization.

“At the same time, the Zionist Executive has announced its intention to change the text to be printed on the Shekalim, thus attempting to transform the Shekel, created by Herzl as a symbol of adherence to the Basle program, into a narrow partisan membership card. There are, moreover, soon to be expected further steps in the same direction, deliberately calculated to render participation in the Zionist Congress inconsistent with the political conscience of Revisionists, and so to ensure forever the domination of the Socialist wing. And all this is being done in a hurry, before the resumption of the peace negotiations so solemnly promised, with the obvious intention to make such negotiations useless and impossible.

FURTHER TALKS ‘FUTILE’

“These deliberate infringements by the Zionist Executive of both the letter and the spirit of the London agreements are conclusive proof that any further peace negotiations with that Executive alone would be futile; and that the only hope of reaching some kind of stable accord between the various Zionist bodies is to convene a round table conference of all Zionist parties, especially as the present Zionist Executive does not represent such important groups as the Mizrachi and the section ‘B’ of General Zionists.

“I warn all those who are sincerely anxious for a united Zionist front that, unless they all join in protest against these tactics of unloyal sabotage and in the demand for a round table conference, peace with Zionism is in greater danger than ever before.

“As to the Tel Hai Fund, whose reorganization was only completed in the middle of last year’s Spring, its first annual report will be published after Passover; and it is more than unfair on the part of the Jewish Agency to insinuate, before such a report could be presented, doubts as to the Fund’s activity in assisting the upbuilding of Palestine.

UPHOLDS PALESTINE

“The Fund, despite all the handicaps inherent in any period of beginning, has already spent not inconsiderable sums in equipping the Kapat Cholim of the National Labor Union, in constructing dwelling – barracks for National workers in several colonies, and in several other directions; and a reserve gradually and steadily increasing, has been set aside for building the Union’s headquarters at Tel Aviv as soon as a plot for this construction will, as we hope, be granted by the municipality. This has been done apart from the Fund’s original function—the support of courses and camps training the Betar youth in the Diaspora to protect their people against pogroms; courses and camps from which, up to date, some four thousand sport instructors have graduated.

“The Tel Hai Fund enjoys great sympathies among the neutral Jewish masses in Eastern Europe. A striking example is the decision of the Vilna Jewish community to include into its budget a subsidy to the Keren Tel Hail—an example which will find followers.

SCOPE OF TEL HAI DRIVE

“The next Tel Hai drive will be carried out, in Palestine, Europe and South Africa, in commemoration of Trumpeldor’s death on Adar 11th. The drive will last from March 15th to March 18th. The following appeal to all members of the Revisionist Union, the Brith Trumpeldor, and the Brith Hachayal (Veterans’ Union) has been issued in this connection:

” ‘Prepare for exceptional ‘Giyus’ (mobilization) with regard to the 11th of Adar. The bulk of the collected sums will be used to strengthen the National Labor Union in Palestine which we intend to develop into the decisive factor securing the principles of arbitration and class partnership within the Yishuv.

” ‘To the Jewish Agency’s attack on the Tel Hai Fund you will answer by establishing a record of collections never reached by any other fund.’ “