Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 80

to justice and to the needs of the country and the Yishub. Especial hardship is caused to persons who have resided in Palestine for a number of years, many of whom have _ opened workshops and are giving employment to labour, and whose families are still outside Palestine. Denial of permission to remain permanently in Palestine will compel many of these persons to leave the country, and entail the ruin of established industrial enterprises and workshops. (/) The General Council expresses the wish that the Government may grant permission for permanent residence in Palestine to all tourists whohave established themselves and found occupation in the country. 2. —The Prevention of Abuses in connection with Immigration Certificates. (a) The General Council approves the action taken by the Executive of the Jewish Agency and its instructions to the Palestine Offices concerning the prevention of abuses in connection with immigration certificates. (b) The General Council directs the Executive to appoint Investigating Officers and to establish courts at the Palestine Offices of all countries where they consider them necessary. The number of members of such courts, whose names shall be proposed by the Palestine Offices, shall vary between 3 and 5. The courts shall consist, as far as possible, of representatives of all parties represented in the Palestine Office. (c) All complaints of abuses alleged to have been committed by a Zionist official, a Zionist committee, a Federation, or a Zionist party, shall be submitted to the Investigating Officer, who shall ascertain the facts, take the evidence of witnesses, and make recommendations to the court. (d) The court shall consider the case brought before it by the Investigating Officer, hand down the verdict and pronounce sentence. (e) The General Council authorises the Executive to propose to the Chairman of the Court of Honour the establishment of special courts in countries specified by the Executive. These courts shall deal with all accusations of irregular conduct in connection with immigration certificates levied against a person or persons. (/) The special courts shall act as courts of appeal against sentences passed by the courts at the Palestine Office when notice of appeal is given by the Investigating Officer, the accused, his party or his Federation. The special courts shall also judge cases where the accused are in danger of being sentenced to a suspension of their Zionist activity for a period longer than one year, to expulsion from the Zionist Organisation or to loss of some of their Zionist rights. The special court may, if it thinks fit, order the publication of its findings. (g) The General Council approves the decision of the Executive to request the Chairman of the Zionist Court of Honour to appoint a special court in Poland, which shall begin to function not later than in May of the present year. 3. —Immigration Fees. (a) The General Council strictly forbids all parties, local immigration commissions and organisations which deal with matters appertaining to emigration to Palestine to exact from their members, or from non-members, any payment whatsoever for the forwarding of applications to the Palestine Office, for testimonials, for the granting of certificates or the supply of any kind of documents to the emigrants. This prohibition applies to payments of any kind whatsoever, both immigration fees and contributions to party or Federation funds. The Executive of the Jewish Agency is requested to communicate with the Boards of the Keren Hayesod and of the Keren Kayemeth regarding" instructions to be issued to the branch offices of the Funds, in accordance with which certificates of fulfilment of their obligations towards the Funds shall be supplied at the Palestine Offices only to those intending immigrants : 8o