Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 47

regular co-operation. The Executive made it clear that such co-operation was possible only on the basis of unity in the Zionist Organisation, and the recognition of its status and its discipline, and that the dual position of the Revisionists must cease. They declared that there was nothing to prevent all Revisionists joining the Zionist Organisation if they undertook all duties of members together with all rights, and that the Executive were ready to discuss other solutions, provided an end was made of the present situation in which the Revisionists enjoyed all rights in the Zionist Organisation and influenced its decisions, but at the same time belonged to the World Union, which claimed primacy in discipline and often engaged in activity directed against the Zionist Organisation. Unfortunately soon afterwards the utterances of Revisionist leaders, the continuation of the Petition movement, and the decisions of the Cracow Conference of January, 1935, which reinforced the Separatist aims of the Revisionists directed against the Zionist Organisation, rendered the previously cherished hopes illusory and demonstrated the futility of further negotiations. 12. Summarising the position, it can be said that the negotiations that have been described here have led to a diminution of party strife and a mitigation of differences, and that in this way substantial obstacles have been removed which stood in the way of a union of the really constructive forces of the movement. 13. The Shekel. I.—The Importance of the Shekel in the Movement. With each Congress the importance of the Shekel is becoming more and more prominent in the Movement. The concrete privilege that is offered to the Shekel-holder—the privilege of voting in the election of delegates to the Zionist Congress —adds special value to the Shekel, which thus becomes an important factor in influencing the course of development of the Zionist movement in general and in the work of reconstruction of Erez Israel in particular. Shekel campaigns and their results during the last few years conclusively prove that Zionism and the rebuilding of Palestine have become vital necessities for every section of the Jewish people. And inasmuch as Palestine will continue to be the land of the future for the Jewish masses all over the world, the shekel will also continue to increase in importance. It is not impossible, as is proved by the results of this year's Shekel campaign in a number of countries, to mobilise in course of time twenty per cent, of the Jewish population in every country as permanent Shekel-payers of the Zionist Organisation. The marked improvement in the number of Shekel-holders began during the 18th Congress year and has advanced by leaps and bounds during the current year. —The Shekel results for the present Congress period (19th). 1. 5694. The results for 5694 (about 233,000), although they were to a certain extent an improvement on the results of 5692, 47