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Non-zionist Organizations in U.S. Will Be Invited to Zionist Congress

May 6, 1960
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Dr. Nahum Goldmann declared today at a press conference here that Jewish organizations in the United States, South America, Europe and South Africa will be invited to send fraternal delegations to the next World Zionist Congress at the end of this year.

The president of the World Zionist Organization said such delegations will participate in discussions and in committees but will not have any voting rights. The project, he said, which is designed to give a “new look” to Zionism, will be a preliminary step to offering an opportunity for organizations to join the world Zionist movement. He indicated this move might increase Zionist membership by 1,000,000 persons.

He said the world Zionist movement should be regarded as the organizations which represents the majority of the Jewish people and, as such, will ask the Israel Government to manifest support for it. He announced that he and Jewish Agency executive members will meet May 26, with Israel Government and party leaders to formulate closer ties.

Unequivocal support for the Zionist movement by the Israel Government would give a “tremendous fillip” to the movement, he said, and greatly enhance its prestige. Questioned about details of the demands which the Jewish Agency would submit to Government officials, Dr. Goldmann declined to provide any details but cited Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s recent visit to the United States as a symptom of “lack of cooperation” with the Zionist movement.

He said it was “unfortunate” that American Zionists had no role or were by-passed in arrangements for Mr. Ben-Gurion’s visit, implying that the Prime Minister’s advisors had failed to exploit more fully the historic visit in relation to American Zionism.

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