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Jewish Agency Takes Issue with American Jewish Committee of Aid to Jews in Europe

August 23, 1950
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Criticism against the American Jewish Committee for advocating a “Jewish Point Four Program” for the Jews still remaining on the European continent who need adjustment is voiced in a newsletter published by the Jewish Agency here.

Declaring that “perhaps no more blatant example could be found of an obstinate refusal to draw the plain inference from history than the behavior of the Jewish refugees who have remained in Europe” instead of making Israel their permanent home, the article says:

“More surprising, however, is the American Jewish Committee attitude.” It points out that since the Jewish survivors on the European continent “have failed to grasp the hand stretched out to them from Israel,” their future must be their own responsibility. “To pour money down the European drain today is little short of criminal; but if it is at the expense of the Jewish people’s national project in Israel, it is a great deal more than criminal,” the article insists.

“The American Jewish Committee,” the article continues, “is known as a non-Zionist body which has, on the whole, taken a sympathetic interest in Zionism. Let it not, therefore, by diverting part of the funds raised by United States Jewry, or by trying to raise additional funds, extend help of the most doubtful efflicacy to the Jews, who ignoring the lessons of the recent past, have chosen to remain in Europe. Any such help is bound to be detrimental to Zionism, whether directly or indirectly. It would therefore necessarily constitute an anti-Zionist act.”

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