Dr. Nahum Goldmann was re-elected president of the World Jewish Congress by an overwhelming show of hands at the WJC’s Sixth Plenary Assembly here tonight. Although no count was taken. It was evident that the only hands raised against Dr. Goldmann were those of the Herut delegation which bitterly opposed his re-election. There were a number of abstentions, mainly among the delegates of the World Union of General Zionists and Mizrachi supporters.
The election was preceded by a prolonged and stormy debate during which Herut leader. Yosef Klarman denounced Dr. Goldmann for his controversial views on Israeli political matters and Soviet Jewry. Pinhas Sapir, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives, vigorously praised the 80-year-old WJC head as a true Zionist.
The denial of a Herut motion for a secret ballot on grounds that some of the signatures on their petition were invalid, precipitated the only disorder at the session. The Herut delegation rose en masse and numbers of them moved threateningly toward the podium. The chairman called on ushers to block them, at which point Klarman ordered the Herut delegates to return to their seats.
MRS. MEIR OPPOSED GOLDMANN’S RE-ELECTION
Dr. Goldmann’s victory, though expected, was won in face of opposition from some veteran Labor Party leaders. Former Premier Golda Meir, whose policies often conflicted with Dr. Goldmann’s views during her years in office, sent letters last week to Premier Yitzhak Rabin, Sapir and Itzhak Korn, chairman of the Israeli Executive of the WJC, urging them to block Dr. Goldmann’s re-election. Mrs. Meir apparently had some support, but the Labor Party leadership concluded that it was too late to select an opposing candidate and that opposition to Dr. Goldmann would create a breach with Labor delegates from abroad who supported him.
Dr. Goldmann spoke briefly after the election. He thanked the delegates and also thanked Klarman for his “gentlemanly” opposition. Others elected to top WJC posts included Philip M. Klutznick of Chicago; Sapir; Leon Dulzin, WZO treasurer; Sol Kanee of Winnipeg; Lord Fisher of Camden, who was elected European Regional Chairman; Korn, re-elected Israel Chairman; Gregorio Faigon of Argentina, Latin American Chairman; and Edgar Bronfman of Canada, North American Chairman. Gerhart Riegner of Geneva, was re-elected Secretary General of the WJC.
Vice-presidents elected were Nessim Gaon of Geneva; Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg of Englewood, N.J.; Rabbi Joachim Prinz of South Orange, N.J.; Ezra Shapiro of Jerusalem; and Sam Norich of the U.S., who headed the youth delegation to the Plenary Assembly. Norich, 27, was the first youth representative elected to a vice-presidency of the WJC. His election was also the first time that a fifth vice-presidency was added to the roster.
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