The Zionist Actions Committee, which is to decide ?hether members of the Israeli Cabinet should also remain members of the executives of the World Zionist Organization and of the Jewish Agency, was today confronted by new complications when the General Zionists suggested that the issue be left open for Final decision by the World Zionist Congress which is to meet next June.
In presenting this proposal, the General Zionists maintained that the issue spastically affects the constitution of the World Zionist Organization and can, there-fore, be decided only by the Zionist Congress. In the meantime, they advocated that the Actions Committee issue an appeal to the members of the Israeli Cabinet urging them to resign from the Agency executive. The representatives of the Labor Party announced that they would not support such an appeal, on the basis that every Cabinet member must decide for himself whether to serve on both bodies, or resign from one.
A sharp battle developed at the plenary session today on the question of the allocation of responsibility for various aspects of the immigration problem. A re-commendation was presented by the organization sub-committee urging the creation of a joint body by the Israeli Government and the Zionist executive to tackle the problem of caring for the refugee immigrate upon their arrival. A counter-proposal was accepted overwhelmingly. It provided that responsibility for care of the immigrants after arrival in Israel be placed in the hands of the Zionist executive, but that the functions be carried out in cooperation with the government. Moshe Shapiro, Israeli Immigration Minister, objected to the decision and said that the government would have to re-examine the issue. A number of specific tasks for which the executive of the World Zionist Organization, independently of the Israeli Cabinet, would be responsible were nevertheless decided upon today by the Actions Committee. They provide:
1. The establishment of a Supreme Council to decide on major immigration problems. The chairman of the Council is to be appointed or elected by the Zionist executive.
2. The settling of new immigrants in Israel and the immigration of children and youth, including all activities abroad in behalf of such immigration.
3. The mobilization of private capital abroad for investment in Israel and activities abroad in behalf of the distribution of Israeli products.
4. The development of Jerusalem and the establishment of a special department to deal with questions concerning Jerusalem. This department should be headed one or two members of the Zionist executive and should have a permanent committee of five elected by the Actions Committee. Until the fate of Jerusalem is decided, the local directorate should function with the participation of all public organization responsible for the fate of the city.
5. Mobilization and control of funds for banks in Israel and for the Hebrew University and the Haifa Technical Institute. 6. The establishment of an educational and cultural department which would also deal with the preparation of youth abroad for immigration to Israel.
The organizational sub-committee also proposed that the World Zionist Executive be authorized to fix immigration quotas to Israel, submitting them to the government for final acceptance. Representatives of the left-wing United Workers Party projected. They insisted that the Zionist executive retain the full power of decision ?ad that only the distribution of the set quotas to the refugees be handled by the monist executive in conjunction with the Government.
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.
