Pinchas Rutenberg’s proposal for Palestine Jewish unity on the basis of establishment of a single authoritative body, temporary abandonment of elections and a ban on strikes, has met a hostile reception in the Yiddish press here.
The Jewish Daily Forward declares editorially: “In time of war it is difficult to apply the principle of 100 percent democracy. It is, however, not permissible to impose admiration of an individual. The great England found a solution; cannot a solution be found in little Palestine?….The Churchill cabinet, Parliament and public opinion have strengthened the prestige of the labor movement and elevated it, while, under Rutenberg is plan, the labor movement in Palestine would be eliminated, be deprived of its functions and lose its influence.”
Dr. S. Margoshes, editor of The Day, states in his column: “….This seems to us a complete reneging on democracy and quite a suspicious belief in the efficacy of authoritarianism…It seems to me Mr. Rutenberg would be much better advised if he tried to emulate the British example…it will never do for Palestine to have a strong man with a few hand-picked individuals running the affairs of Palestine Jewry. In these days it is particularly important that the Jews of Palestine, like the Jews everywhere, show that democracy like charity begins at home.”
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.
