National Emergency Conference for Israel Report

NATIONAL EMERGENCY CONFERENCE FOR ISRAEL

It was truly an historic conference, attended by 1200 delegates who represented about 50 national Jewish organizations. It was the first time in the history of American Jewry that all the leading national Jewish organizations and Jewish communities in the United States joined together to plan a program vitally affecting the State of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere. These 1200 representatives who spoke for America’s five million Jews concluded this historic four day conference with unanimous adoption of a program calling for a billion and a half in aid to Israel in the next three years.

Abe Brodkey and I arrived in Washington late Wednesday night so that we could attend the Steering Committee session on Thursday, prior to the opening of the conference on Friday.

The first speaker at the session was Robert Nathan, the young economist who had just returned from Israel where he had attended the Jerusalem conference. That conference was called by Ben Gurion and Berl Locker because of the continued large scale immigration. As Nathan put it, this large scale immigration posed a problem of increasing magnitude which called for a basic reappraisal and a basic reconsideration of the financial structure of Israel. They realized that they had to transmit to Jews everywhere the magnitude of the job facing the government. Immigration for the past two and a half years was far greater than they had anticipated. Not only that, but it will continue for another three years. Therefore, it is necessary to project a program that will handle this immigration.

He explained that they need money for different classifications of spending. The continued UJA campaigns are to furnish money to transport D.P.'s from countries such as Rumania, Iraq, Poland and others. The cost to transport an individual runs in the neighborhood of $300. They need $60,000,000 a year for that alone. Then comes the job of providing essential funds for investment to absorb these newcomers. Absorb means to provide productive facilities to properly integrate these people. They figure that it takes about $2,200 per capita for economic integration. That doesn’t mean just housing but it covers streets, roads, public works and actually building cities. I was surprised to hear that after their war, 65,000 Arab homes were made available to the immigrants. Nathan also stated that the $100,000,000 loan from the Export-Import Bank was a big help in the past two years. He pointed out that Israel is not asking for help for their present population—they themselves are self-supporting. Their businesses are prospering. They refuse to stop immigration and we must help those unfortunate ones that are still anxious to come in. It is really fantastic to hear that the Jews of Israel are willing to account for one-third of the billion and a half that is required. They are willing to make their austerity program more stringent. They will eat one egg a week instead of two, and they will tighten their belts some more. They will increase their taxes again. Just think of the sacrifices they are willing to make and compare them with our appeal for a few dollars that never hurt anyone of us in the least.

After Nathan came Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Aubrey Eban. Many of you heard Mr. Eban when he spoke at our Philanthropies Campaign at the West Club last spring. It certainly is a credit to the Jewish people—his association with top people in our Government. Mr. Eban stressed the importance of date-line immigration. He made it clear that Jews can leave some countries right now but the curtain may come down next Spring, or even next month, and when the curtain drops, it is the end. He said that Israel must be economically strong to conserve the military and political victories already achieved. The main point in his talk was the fact that American Jewry must appreciate the sense of relative sacrifice for this projected program wherein we are asked to raise a billion dollars against the half-billion that Israel has agreed to furnish.

During this session of the Steering Committee, we had the pleasure of listening to the Minister of Finance, Eliezer Kaplan, who was introduced by Mr. Morgenthau. In his few remarks, Mr. Morgenthau said that Israel’s toughest struggle was behind but there seems to be too big a gap between our thinking here and their’s in Israel. He paid tribute to Kaplan’s leadership and achievement in the conduct of the financial affairs of the Government of Israel. Kaplan also made it clear that they were not asking for help for current expenditures—he said, ”we ask you Jewsin America to be our partners in this great project.” He further stated, ”I believe that the three year plan is necessary to absorb the new immigrants and to achieve full economic independence.” He further stated, ”we will have an equilibrium even in our foreign income and expenditure and we will be in a position to repay existing debts and any other debts that we may incur in the immediate future.” Kaplan said that the biggest part of the billion and a half would be invested as follows: 340 million for agricultural and irrigation projects; 290 million for the development of industry; 600 million for housing and public works; and 80 million for the development of transportation and trade. He wound up his talk by stating that American Jewry must think in terms of building dignity for themselves. They really help themselves when they contribute to Israel. And I might add that our Government here in the United States is influenced in a great measure by our contribution to Israel when they consider our request for grant in aid.

The steering committee session was brought to a dramatic climax by a talk by Golda Myerson, Minister of Labor. Of course it is a treat to listen to her, no matter what the subject might be. She said, ”as long as hundreds of thousands of Jews continue to flock to our shores, we must have the generous help of American Jews to receive and care for them. But it is our firm resolve to free ourselves at the earliest moment of any dependence on philanthropy.”

The conference actually started Friday morning. We heard talks by Dr. Nahum Goldman, Chairman of the American Section of the Jewish Agency; Levi Eshkol, Treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Palestine (He spoke in Mame-Losheu); Eliezer Kaplan, Israel’s Minister of Finance; Berl Locker, Chairman of the Jerusalem Section of the Jewish Agency; Golda Myerson; Dr. Barth, Managing Director of the Anglo-Palestine Bank; the Hon. John W. Snyder, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States; Aubrey Eban; and Leon Keyserling, Chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. There were also short talks from Ed Warburg, Bill Rosenwald and several other national figures.

In my estimation, the most impressive talk of the general conference was made by Dr. Joseph Schwartz, who is so well known thruout the world in connection with his activity with the Joint Distribution Committee. I was impressed and depressed by his talk because he spoke of Israel’s fantastic accomplishments in the past two and a half years and he also spoke of the dire need of immediate help. In outlining some of the accomplishments of the past two and a half years, he stated that Cyprus had been liquidated, many thousands of orphans were removed to Israel, about 500,000 were brought to Israel from all over the world. Around 60,000 came from Yemen, who were removed via "Operation Magic Carpet.” After the war, Poland had 200,000 Jews and today there are only 50,000 left and 20,000 of them have already requested to leave by January 1st.

The 550 million that the UJA has raised since 1946 were given to salvage a people and helped build a nation. American Jews met the challenge. They understood the issue, Schwartz stated, "we can still be conscious of the task ahead." Schwartz further stated, that we must save "The hard core" — the living victims of Hitler’s hatred, cripples from the army, and the sick from concentration camps. The Jews of Israel are going to see to it that they are properly looked after. Israel wants them and will do even the fantastic to get them there.

Schwartz made it clear that there may be a total of 80,000 Jews still living in Moslem countries, including Algeria. He said that 80,000 Jews in Iran are begging to get out, and I might add, dying to get out because they are being persecuted daily.

Jews in Tripolitania are now insecure because England just moved 2,500 Arab refugees there. Rumania has temporarily opened its doors but the JVC has no money to move them. Friends, it is very obvious that we are committing an unforgivable crime when we ignore their plea.

Before I report on more of the prominent speakers, I want to take a moment to tell you about a thrilling experience within a thriller. Friday night we had dinner at the Statler Hotel in the Presidential room. I am pretty sure it was the first time that the hotel catered a strictly Kosher dinner. Kiddush was rendered by the famous Cantor Kousevitsky. It was one of the most beautiful Kiddushim I ever heard. After the dinner, the Cantor sang Songs of Israel. Now I enjoyed South Pacific just before I left for the convention, but the songs Kousevitsky sang were much more beautiful.

I mentioned before that the Secretary of the Treasury was there and spoke for about 15 minutes. He congratulated American Jewry on the part they played in the establishment of Israel, and their humanitarian effort in saving many lives. Mr. Snyder said that despite tremendous problems the Jewish State has been able to record important progress in strengthening its economy during the short period of its independent life. Snyder congratulated Israel for absorbing an 80% increase in immigration during a short period of two and a half years. He said that Israel undertook a vigorous program to develop that country like the pioneers of this country. Everyone has been impressed with their actions. Snyder stated facts such as: Industrial production has increased 25%; Agriculture in some phases had increased several hundred percent; he talked about the increased egg and milk production which was phenomenal in comparison to other countries such as our own. He did say that they need to further develop their mineral resources. In closing, Mr. Snyder stated that the Jewish people are determined to accomplish their goal.

Leon Keyserling expressed confidence in the ability of American Jews to achieve success in the three year program. He said, "there can be no question in the minds of sensible and realistic men and women that we in the United States have the material ability to meet whatever goals our moral judgment may lead us to set."