B’nai B’rith Convention Abstains from Adopting Resolution on Jewish Commonwealth

The five-day national convention of the B’nai B’rith closed here today, after deciding to take no action on a number of resolutions dealing with the demand for the establishment of a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine. All solutions on this subject were withdrawn from the resolutions committee by their sponsors as a result of a statement by Henry Monsky, president of the organization, before the resolutions committee, which was also approved by the convention.

Mr. Monsky pointed out that in his presidential message to the convention he said that the “B’nai B’rith has a membership of diverse ideologies and must not attempt, by the rule of the majority, to regiment the thinking or encroach upon the freedom of action of the minority, however small.”

“The adoption or defeat of these resolutions would be contrary to this principle,”Mr. Monsky said. “I ask that, because in the membership of B’nai B’rith there divergent opinions on ideological and political issues and because B’nai B’rith an organization, in accordance with its traditional policy, recognizes the right each member to determine his own attitudes on any such issues, B’nai B’rith as an organization take no position either for or against the above mentioned resolutions.”

The convention adopted a resolution declaring that B’nai B’rith shall continue as full participation in the American Jewish Conference and its Interim Committee. fervently express the hope that through the instrumentality of the American Jewish inference complete unity of action may be attained,” the resolution said.

The convention went on record as favoring the continuation by the Anti-Defmeon League of its policy of offering its facilities and cooperation to local community councils. In those communities or regions where effective anti-defamation work and public relations matters relating there to are not now being sufficiently performed be convention went on record as favoring that “steps he taken as expeditiously as possible to establish Anti-Defamation League offices.”