Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 31

(b) A Congress fraction (or Congress fractions) of the General Zionist Congress delegates and likewise such a fraction (or fractions) within the General Council. Such a fraction would have the same rights as all other fractions, includingalso—as long as the Congress does not otherwise decide—the right of an obligatory fraction and of discipline in relation to the members of the fraction. Should the World Union, contrary to the principle proclaimed by it in 1931, wish to declare itself as a Separate Union (with a separate programme, party discipline and individual membership), this could be done only with the approval of the General Council and in compliance with the regulations of our Constitution. But it must be clear that no member of a territorial Federation could be compelled to join such a Separate Union, and that there must be room for such General Zionists who do not wish to belong to such a Separate Union. The World Union was requested to draw the conclusions following from this statement. 4. The attempt at a verbal settlement of this difference failed owing to the intention of the World Union to discuss the matter first in its own ranks. As no reply to the memorandum of the Executive was received after a rather long time (apart from some non-official polemical utterances in the press) the Executive found itself obliged to convey its point of view to the Zionist Federations and Separate Unions and decided to wait until the World Union formulated its standpoint. 5. Meanwhile there occurred in November, 1934, in Congress Poland an incident which proved the justification and the urgency of the requests made by the Executive. In its observations of October 26th, 1931, on the draft constitution of the World Union, the Executive emphasised that only in the countries in which the territorial Federations also embrace members of Separate Unions and therefore cannot join the World Union, might territorial groups of General Zionists be formed and join the World Union, but that it was inadmissible, in a country where the territorial Federation refused to join the World Union, to form minority groups that would join the World Union. Every action that was calculated to bring about the splitting and disintegration of Federations instead of strengthening them, would be in direct contradiction to the legitimate task of the World Union and constitute an injury to the interests of the Zionist Organisation, which the Executive could not allow. Contrary to these principles, the group of General Zionists in Poland, known by the name of " Eth Livnoth," although the Polish Federation did not join the World Union, became affiliated to the World Union, and, after withdrawing from the Federation, proclaimed the establishment of a new Federation of General Zionists. The Executive prohibited this procedure as destructive and illegal, and informed the World Union of this prohibition, requesting it to do everything to prevent this attempt at a rupture and to repudiate any responsibility for it. Nevertheless the Executive of the World Union found it possible 31