The Israel press today reported that the four top leaders of the Israel Bond Drive in the United States have cabled their resignations of the Israel Government. The report said that the leaders attributed their resignations to the “lack of cooperation on the part of the Israel Government.”
The four are: Henry Morgenthau, Jr., chairman of the Board of Governor of the American Financial and Development Corporation for Israel, which conducts the sale of the Israel bonds; Rudolf Sonneborn, president of the corporation; Henry Montor, executive vice-president; and Julian Venetsky, chairman of the executive committee.
(In New York, the headquarters of the Israel Bond Drive confirmed that its officers had submitted their resignations to the Israel Government, but added that they had received a cable from Premier David Ben Gurion urging them to withdraw the resignations. The Israel Premier said that he would discuss the matter with members of his Cabinet and would communicate further with Mr. Morgenthau. Pending a further communication from Mr. Ben Gurion, the officers of the Bond Drive refused to elaborate on the reason for their resignations.)
A government spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the Israel Government has not and will not accept the resignations of the bond drive leadership. The spokesman expressed himself as “hopeful” that the New York leaders would withdraw their resignations “in the full understanding of Israel’s economic situation.”
A scheduled consultation of Premier Ben Gurion with members of his Cabinet responsible for economic affairs, in connection with the resignations of the Bond Drive leaders, was postponed in view of other urgent matters which the Cabinet had to consider today.
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