De zoon van een gazzen

III Memorandum on the situation of the non-Zionist Jews in Palestine*

i

Before all I should like to make a remark as to the use of the word ‘Zionist’. Once it is used in the sense of a man who loves Zion; and sometimes it is used in the sense of being and adherent of the Zionist Organisation. I, however, am going to use it in the latter sense.

In the first sense all the Orthodox Jews are Zionists; in the latter sense they are not. A part of the Orthodoxy is organised in the world organisation Mizrahi which has branch societies in different countries. The Mizrahi as a Federation, is a part of the Zionist Organisation. Another part of the Orthodox Jews are organised in the world Organisation of the Agudat Israël, which has its branches principally in the countries of Middle and Eastern Europe. The Agudat Israël refuses to unite itself with the Zionist Organisation since the latter in theory is religious, but in practice anti-religious. The Agudat Israël has hundreds of thousands of adherents in Middle and Eastern Europe. They belong for the greater part to theTalmudic scholars, merchants, handicraftsmen, etc. They hardly take part in politics and journalistic propaganda. The Zionists, although they are less numerous, have come to the foreground since they take part in general political activity of the times. The leaders of the Zionist Organisation, Dr. Weiz-mann and Mr. Sokolow, have during the war and thereafter, always allow-ed themselves to speak on behalf of the whole Jewish people, although they had no right and authority to do so, except on behalf of the Zionist Organisation whom they represented.

ii

The Zionists in Palestine always avoid to call themselves by the name of Zionists because they want to create the impression abroad that all the Palestinian Jews are political Zionists.

The Palestinian Zionists have elected an Assembly to which they have given the name of Jewish Deputies of Palestine (Ashifat Hanivcharim). These in turn have elected an Executive Committee for conducting daily affairs, which designates itself the National Council of Palestinian Jews (Vaad Haleumi). In different places the Zionists have elected councils for administering Zionist affairs who call themselves Local Councils (Vaadei

‘Dit memorandum bevindt zich in de nalatenschap (Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana).

397