Mizrachi Quits Jewish National Council; Protests Labor Party Domination

Rabbi Meir Berlin, leader of the world Mizrachi organization, has resigned from the Jewish National Assembly and the Jewish National Council in protest against domination of Yishuv affairs by the Mapai, the Jewish Labor Party, it was announced today. Rabbi Berlin issued a statement declaring that “the Mizrachi and the Poale Mizrachi have not received what was promised by the Mapai during five months of negotiations.”

Meanwhile, the central committee of the Poale Mizrachi today criticized recent statements by Dr. Chaim Weizmann and Moshe Shertok, charging that they were straying from the Biltmore policy, which calls for the immediate establishment of a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine. It urged the return of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver to the chairmanship of the American Zionist Emergency Council and sharply attacked the policy pursued by Dr. Stephen S. Wise and Dr. Nahum Goldmann.

At the same time, the central committees of both the Poale Mizrachi and the Mizrachi voted to withdraw their representatives from the executive committee of the Jewish National Council. The Poale Mizrachi member is S. Z. Shragai, head of the Council’s propaganda and press department and the Mizrachi delegate is Rabbi M. M. Ostrovsky, chief of the department of community affairs.

In a statement issued following its meeting, the Poale Mizrachi central committee said that it objected to “the Mapai’s dominating all Yishuv matters and its failure to adhere to the coalition principle, which has resulted in removing orthodox Jewry from any influence in Yishav affairs.”

First reaction to the Mizrachi action came from Rabbi Ostrovsky, who refused to resign from the executive of the Council. Thus, the Council is faced with a crisis as a result of the Mizrachi and Poale Mizrachi withdrawals, while the Mizrachi has a crisis of its own precipitated by Ostrovsky’s stand.