SESSION OF THE ZIONIST GENERAL COUNCIL THIRD SESSION AFTER THE 26TH ZIONIST CONGRESS JERUSALEM JANUARY 8-15, 1967 Addresses,; Debates, Resolutions Published by the ORGANIZATION DEPARTMENT OF THE ZIONIST EXECUTIVE JERUSALEM AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE n Library י»B I 3 u s t SESSION OF THE ZIONIST GENERAL COUNCIL THIRD SESSION AFTER THE 26TH ZIONIST CONGRESS JERUSALEM JANUARY 8-15, 1966 Addresses, Debates, Resolutions Published by the ORGANIZATION DEPARTMENT OF THE ZIONIST EXECUTIVE JERUSALEM iii THE THIRD SESSION of the Zionist General Council after the Twenty-sixth Zionist Congress was held in Jerusalem on 8-15 January, 1967. The inaugural meeting was held in the Binyanei Ha'umah in the presence of the President of the State and Mrs. Shazar, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Knesset, Cabinet Ministers, the Chief Justice, Judges of the Supreme Court, the State Comptroller, visitors from abroad, public dignitaries and a large and representative gathering which filled the entire hall. The meeting was opened by Mr. Jacob Tsur, Chair- man of the Zionist General Council, who paid homage to Israel's Nobel Prize Laureate, the writer S.Y, Agnon, and read the message Mr. Agnon had sent to the gathering. Mr. Tsur also congratulated the poetess and writer, Nellie Zaks. The speaker then went on to discuss the gravity of the time for both the State of Israel and the Zionist Move- ment, and called upon citizens in this country and Zionists throughout the world to stand shoulder to shoulder to over- come the crisis. Professor Andre Chouraqui, Deputy Mayor of the City of Jerusalem, welcomed the delegates on behalf of the City. The Prime Minister, Mr. Levi Eshkol, in his speech stressed the powerful ties existing between the State of Israel and the Jewish people in all lands of their dispersion, underlining the close cooperation between the Government and the Zionist Executive. Mr. Eshkol recalled the com- mencement of the operations of the Mercaz Latefutzot, set up jointly by the Government and the Zionist Movement. He sent fraternal greetings to the Jews of Soviet Russia, iv expressing the hope that in view of the statement of the Russian Premier regarding the re-union of families, immigration from that country would increase. When Dr. Nachum Goldmann, President of the World Zionist Organization, rose to speak, a group of young persons bearing slogans demonstrated against him and against his stand on the problems of ties with Germany. In his speech Dr. Goldmann outlined the situation of the Movement and of Jewry in the international arena, dealing more in detail with the Neo-Nazi Movement and relations with Germany, and also with the problems of the Zionist Movement. At the second meeting held on the following day Dr. Goldmann concluded his address on the tasks confronting the Zionist Movement and the Jewish people voicing his hopes for the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab countries. The General Debates on the speeches of the Prime Minister and the President of the World Zionist Organization then began, continuing into the third meeting. On the afternoon of the same day Members of the Zionist General Council were the guests of the Knesset in its new premises. The Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Kadish Luz, welcomed the delegates, stressing the mutual ties of the Knesset and the Zionist General Council. The fourth meeting held on 9 January 1967 was address- ed by the Chairman of the Executive Mr. L.A. Pincus, on the work, programme and budget of the Zionist Movement. He was followed by Mr. Yigal Allon, Minister of Labour, who spoke on Israel's economic problems. The fifth meeting held on the following day saw the beginning of the General Debate on the problems of Im- migration and Absorption. The Debate continued in the sixth and seventh meetings held on the same day. V In the afternoon Members of the General Council attended a reception tendered by the President of the World Zionist Organization. During the eighth meeting held on 11 January the Debate on Problems of Immigration and Absorption was concluded and that on Activities in the Golah commenced, and continued into the ninth meeting. At this meeting the Chairman of the General Council paid tribute to Dr. Israel Goldstein on the occasion of his seventieth birthday while Mr. Baruch Weinstein congratulated other celebrants on their anniversaries. Four Committees were elected, as follows: Political Affairs — Chairman, Dr. Max Nussbaum (Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Chaika Grossman-Orkin); Budget, Finance and Funds Committee — Chairman, Mrs. Fay Schenk (Vice-Chairman, Joseph Daleski); Immigration and Absorption — Chairman — Leon Kronitz (Vice-Chairman, Mr. Yosef Bankower); Organization and Activities in the Golah — Chairman, Rabbi Ts.M. Zambrowsky (Vice-Chairman, Najman Radzichowsky), After the ninth meeting Members of the Zionist Gener- al Council attended a reception in honour of Dr. Israel Goldstein, held at the Goldstein Zionist Youth Farm. At the tenth meeting the Debate on Activities in Golah was concluded and the President of the World Zionist Organization replied. The various Committees sat on 12-13 January. On 12 January Members of the Zionist General Council attend- ed a reception tendered by the President of the State of Israel. During the eleventh meeting members of the Zionist Executive replied to questions put by Members of the Zionist General Council. At the twelfth meeting the Chairman of the Zionist General Council eulogized departed Members. The vi Chairmen of the Various Committee for Organization and Activities in the Golah, for Immigration and Absorption, for the Budget, Finance and the Funds, submitted their draft resolutions. At the thirteenth meeting held on 15 January the Chairman of the Committee for Political Affairs submitted the draft resolutions of his Committee. The President of the World Zionist Organization, Dr. Nachum Goldmann, delivered the closing address, and the Session was summed up by the Chairman of the Zionist General Council, Mr. Jacob Tsur. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS First Meeting Opening Speech —J. Tsur, Chairman of the Zionist General Council 1 Greetings of the City of Jerusalem Prof. A. Chouraqui, ]Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem 6 Immigration and Absorption — Our Touchstone as a Movement and as a State- Mr. Levi Echkol, Prime Minister ..... 7 Tasks of the Zionist Movement and the Jewish People-Dr. N. Goldmann .... 17 Second Meeting Tasks of the Zionist Movement and the Jewish People - Dr. N. Goldmann (ctd.). 30 Debate on Dr. Goldmann's Address . ... 37 I. Korn-37; B. Weinstein-40; E.Z. Shapiro-41; T.M. Zambrowsky-44; A. Levenberg- 47; S. Friedrich —49; J. Hazan —52 Third Meeting Continuation of the Debate on Dr. Goldmann's Address 57 I. Avidor —57; Y. Tyberg-58; B. Janner-60; N. Radzichovski — 62; W. Perry-63; A. Stern-66 viii Fourth Meeting The Activities of the Zionist Executive, L.A. Pincus 68 Israel's Economic Problems — Y. Allon ... 94 Fifth Meeting Debate on the Activities of the Zionist Activities, its Plans and Budget . ,. 104 R. Halprin- 104; E. Neumann-109; J. Torczyner-117; A. Cygel-119; A. Reiss — 123; Y. Bernstein -125; Y. Bankower-128 Sixth Meeting Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget . .... .... 131 M. Daniv —131 Nomination of Members of the General Executive without Voting Rights..... 133 D. Silk-134; M. Vodvotz — 136; R. Arzi-138; M, Kirshblum-140; Z . Loubetkin - 145 Seventh Meeting Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget 149 M. Kitron—149; E. Dobkin-151; R. Kotlowitz — 155; H. Miller-159; R. Jaglom—161; D. Rozin —162; S. Feder —165 IX Eighth Meeting Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget 169 S. Kafri:-169; M. Dworkin—171 Greetings to the Israel Army and the Frontier Settlements 175 Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget 175 I. Harkavi- 175; S.Z . Shragai -178; Z. Lurie-182; Ch. Finkelstein-187; D. Biegun— 190; B. Bergman-191; M. Syrkin—193; J. Orfus —195; J. Katzman—197 Ninth Meeting Election of Committees 199 Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget 199 J. Schmidt-199; I. Warszawski-200; S. Avizemer - 202; H. Landy - 203; Ch. Grossman-Orkin- 205; Greetings to Dr. I. Goldstein 207 Greetings to Zionist Personalities on the Occasion of their Anniversaries 209 Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget 210 L. Kronitz — 210; Ch. Jacobson-212; I. Artzi— 214; H. Hurwitz-218; B. Frymer — 220; J. Mercer-221; A. Luis-223; S. Federbusch-225; A. Hason — 226 X Tenth Meeting Continuation of the Debate on The Activities of the Executive, its Plans and Budget . ... 228 L. Ilutovich - 228; S. Greenberg - 229; Dr. N. Goldmann's Reply to the Debate . 233 Reply to the Debate —L.A. Pincus . 246 Eleventh Meeting Questions pit to the Executive . .... 258 Twelfth Meeting Jacob Tsur eulogizes Zionist Leaders . 281 Proposals of the Committee on Organization and Activities in the Diaspora . 283 Proposals of the Committee on immigration and Absorption . 284 Proposals of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Funds 287 Thirteenth Meeting Proposals of the Political Committee ... 295 Assessment of the Session by Dr. N. Goldmann 307 Closing Speech by the Chairman of the General Council, Mr. J. Tsur . 315 Resolutions .... ... 319 List of Participants ............... 339 List of Committee Members . 344 FIRST MEETING Sunday, January 8,1967 in the evening Chairman: JACOB TSUR OPENING SPEECH BY MR. JACOB TSUR (Chairman of the Zionist General Council) At the very outset I must make mention of the great honour that has been afforded us and to Hebrew literature by the award of the Nobel Prize to Shmuel Yosef Agnon, who lives and writes in our own city of Jerusalem.