The Zionist Actions Committee closed its sessions here today with the adoption of a resolution calling for the rescue of threatened North African Jewry. The resolution was introduced by Eliahu Dobkin, head of the Organizations Department of the Jewish Agency, who outlined the proposals of a special subcommittee on means to effect the North African immigration Mr. Dobkin said that Zionists must set an example in the giving of additional contributions and declared that each country must work out its own way of approaching this problem.
The introduction of the resolution was followed by pledges of increased assistance from Zionist leaders of several countries. Among them were Edward E. Gelber who pledged an additional $1,000,000 from Canada and Mrs. Rose Halprin, a member of the Jewish Agency executive, who said that American Jewry would undertake adequate action to be worked out in consultation with Zionist organizations welfare funds and the United Jewish Appeal.
The Actions Committee expressed full support of Israel’s efforts to achieve peace with its Arab neighbors based on Israel’s “unquestionable sovereignty and territorial integrity.” It insisted that there could be no discussion of cutting back Israel’s borders and stressed that such proposals only encourage Arab extremists.
In another resolution, the committee welcomed Israel’s all-out efforts to rehabilitate and settle the Negev and asserted that the only way the Arab refugee problem could be settled was through resettlement of the refugees in the Arab countries. The Zionists delegates scored the supply of arms to the Arabs as long as a peace had not been achieved.
The delegates hailed the improvement of the world political atmosphere, but expressed regret that a similar improvement had not been achieved in the Middle East. They pledged the world Zionist movement’s assistance to Israel in its efforts to defend itself.
Earlier, the Actions Committee voted to hold the next Zionist Congress on July 10, 1956. It voted to increase the number of Keren Kayemeth directors from eight to twelve. The Actions Committee also asked Zionists to intensify their efforts to enlarge the number of children receiving a national Jewish education and to ensure the centrality of Hebrew as a national language within the curriculum. Urging increased assistance to schools, the Actions Committee also called on Jewish youth to enter the teaching profession in increasing numbers.
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.
