Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 46

Shekel for every year, the representatives of the World Union reserved the formulation of their opinion on other matters until a later stage. The negotiations in regard to regulating of the relations between employers and employees, as well as in regard to the question of Labour Trade Unions in Palestine, were more difficult. After a thorough discussion the World Union decided first to come to an understanding with its members with a view to the settlement of this question. The Executive tried to arrive at a comprehensive understanding with the General Zionists, as with all parties, in regard to the whole sphere of the activity of the Zionist Organisation. It emerged from the detailed discussion that there was the fullest agreement in certain spheres, above all in politics, whilst in regard to other spheres there were no unbridgeable differences, but an agreement was impossible before the questions were settled within the World Union itself. The discussion therefore concluded with the understanding that it should be continued in writing until it could again be resumed orally. 8. The negotiations that had been agreed with the Mizrachi and Jewish State Parties were postponed at the request of these parties and were afterwards dropped. 9. At this stage of the discussions Mr. M. Kentridge, Hon. Vice-President of the Zionist Federation of South Africa, appeared in London as the special delegate of his Federation for this purpose. Mr. Kentridge communicated to the Executive the wish of his Federation to contribute to a cessation of the party struggle which filled the Zionists of South Africa with the greatest concern. The Executive readily communicated to Mr. Kentridge detailed information about the course of the negotiations, 10. On the initiative of Mr. P. Rutenberg the negotiations with the Revisionists were resumed in a number of conversations between Mr. Ben Gurion and Mr. V. Jabotinsky. These discussions, which covered the entire field of Zionist activity, were only partly successful. In addition to two agreements, which have already been dealt with (cap. 11), a further agreement was arrived at relating to the mutual relations of the Labour Trade Unions in Palestine. This was concluded by Mr. Ben Gurion on behalf of the General Labour Federation (Histadruth) and by Mr. Jabotinsky on behalf of the Trade Union of Revisionist workers, and formed a draft to be submitted to both Trade LJnions for confirmation. The Revisionist Trade Union ratified the draft. But on the other hand, the Histadruth, as a result of a referendum, rejected it by 16,000 to 11,000, but at the same time addressed an invitation to the Revisionists to open negotiations regarding an amended agreement. 11. At a certain stage of these negotiations there was a hope that it would be possible to proceed from the partial agreements to the ending of the abnormal relations of the Revisionists to the Zionist Organisation, and to create the foundation for real and 46