The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-07
The "Histadruth" Congress in Palestine

proverty-striken and suffering Jewish
masses, the course to be pursued was
not that Of linking up with imperial
ism and Zionism. be it in the hope Of
obtaining a few crumbs from the
table Of the Zionist bourgeoisie or be
it in the hope OF IAN elementary pro-
cess" which would cause Jewish big
capital to flow to the promised land.
The way out is rather to be sought
in the community Of interests with
the Arab masses who are being led
by the Arab national movement into
the emancipatory struggle against
Imperialism, which movement is be-
ing promoted more and more by the
( economic development and which is
being forced upon the population
precisely owing to the policy Of the
imperialists.
This augmentation, which was
backed up by numerous facts and
+ figures, was urged against the Zion
ist leaders. it was answered by
furious and shallow Indictment, which
endeavored to discredit the protagon-
lists of Communist idealogy by such
/ expressions as traitors" enemies
of the people, etc. The proposals, in
/ accordance with which the "Hista-
druth" will continue to follow in the
wake Of Zionism, were then adopted
by a large majority.
At the same time it must be re-
marked that the Congress of the
Histadruth" was this time in many
/ respects an Improvement on the two
former Congresses OF this organiza-
ton, held in 1920 and 1923. 1t was
/ to be noted that the mood of many
Jewish workers is no longer in har-
mony with the homiies of the Zionist
leaders, and the latter were compelled
under the pressure Of the members Of
the 'Histadruth," to accept a number
+ OF resolutions which have very little
IN common either with Zionism or the
reformist policy pursued hitherto.
Arab workers were admitted for the
first time to the Congress, though Of
course not as members with equal
rights but as guests. For the first
time decisions were adopted recon-
mendlng the organizing of the Arab
workers. A protest against the
monstrous sentence of 8 to ii months
hard labor passed by a British Judge
on participators at a peaceful unem-
ployed demonstration, as we'll as
against the deportations, which are
becoming more and more frequent, Of
politically suspected workers, was
adopted unanimously. Although the
question Of war danger was deleted
from the agenda lowing to lack Of
tme), a resolution calling for main
tenance of peace was adopted, as well
as another demanding release of Sacco
: and Vanzetti and the abolition Of the
death penalty, which is enforced in a
particularly brutal manner by the
mandatory government in Palestine.
With regard to the Soviet Union.
a resolution was adopted welcoming
the Russian Revolution and the splen-
; did colonization work of the soviet
government in settling working Jews
on the land. CAS- an "anti-dotc"
there followed sharp protest against
the persecution" of Zionists and So
cialists in the Soviet Union, and the
assertion that the colonization work
OF the Soviet government cannot
,, solve the Jewish question:.
, It would be a great mistake to
I oyerestimate the political resolutions
OF the Histadruth leaders. But the
contrast between these resolutions
and the nationalistic talk Of tia
Congress, and its other decisions, the
| appearance of the left BlocD and
the Arab workers-all this is an I'M
portant symptom Of the great change
. OF feeling among the mass Of the
Histadruth membership, and In 40
far as this found expression the third
> Congress of the "Histadruth" repre-
sents positive chapter in the his.
> tory of the labor movement IN
, Palestine.