Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 462

there would be fair play on the Committee and that seats on the Council would be allocated in strict proportion to the number of the Jewish voters on the register. The aim of the Jewish Agency was to achieve two objects which it regarded as essential to a dignified Jewish return to the Municipality and to a successful co-operation of the Jewish Councillors in the work of the Council. The first was to ensure the return of at least six Jewish Councillors out of a total of twelve by encouraging Jewish ratepayers, who had grown apathetic to the issue of the Municipality, to claim their voting rights to the full extent. The second was to secure the appointment of a Jewish Vice-Mayor who would actively cooperate with the Mayor in the day-to-day work of the Municipality. The Jewish Agency found itself supported in this attitude by the Vaad Leumi and the Agudath Israel. While the propaganda among ratepayers had naturally to be left to local initiative, the Jewish Agency concentrated on securing the appointment of a Jewish Vice-Mayor with a definite status as the Mayor's permanent and principal adviser and as his substitute in the latter's absence. The question was the subject of protracted negotiations. The Christian Community, which saw its representation dwindling from three seats in the former to two in the new Council, insisted very strongly on retaining the position of Vice-Mayor which it had formerly held. The Jewish Agency did not oppose the claim for a second Christian Vice-Mayor but was anxious to secure for the Jewish Vice-Mayor an opportunity of effective co-operation in the conduct of affairs, and it was on these lines that the question was finally settled. 6. After the completion of the voters' register the city was divided by the Government into wards in such manner as to ensure the election of six Jewish councillors. The Jewish Agency assisted the Vaad Leumi in the establishment of a united front of the Jewish Community of Jerusalem, including the Agudath Israel, for the conduct of the municipal elections. The candidates of the Revisionist party, which had not joined the united front, as well as independent candidates actuated by personal ambition who had managed to get the support of some separatist groups, were all defeated by the candidates of the united list. 7. The objects which the Jewish Agency had set out to achieve as a minimum programme have been realised. The Jews have secured six out of twelve seats and the Jewish Vice-Mayor is taking part in the direction of the day-to-day work of the Municipality. The formal advance made is from a representation of one-third to one of one-half; but the actual progress is from a position where Jews had practically no say in the conduct of municipal affairs, so that they finally found themselves constrained to resign, to a position of effective co-operation based on equality of voting strength. The change of mayors which came about as a result of the last election contributed in some measure to the establishment of better relations between the Jewish and Arab sections of the Council and to the creation of the first rudiments of a spirit of 462