Jewish Agency

The Jewish Agence is a Jewish organization (makes of it primarily Zionist) created in 1929 to be the executive of the Jewish community in Palestine agent. From the Thirties, it becomes the government in fact of the Palestinian Jewish population, and is the matrix of the Israélien government proclaimed in 1948.

The Jewish Agence is then transformed into governmental body in load of Jewish immigration in Palestine, or Aliyah.

Origin (1922)

In 1922, the Société of the Nations gives to the United Kingdom a mandate on Palestine, so “ to institute in the country a state of affairs political, administrative and economic likely to ensure the establishment of the national hearth for the Jewish people (…) and to also ensure the development of institutions of free government, as well as the safeguard of the civil laws and monk of all the inhabitants of Palestine, with some race or religion which they belong. ” (article 2 of the mandate). As from this date, one will speak about the Palestine agent.

To assist the United Kingdom “ a suitable Jewish organization will be officially recognized and will have the right to deliver opinions to the administration of Palestine and to cooperate with it in all economic questions, social and different, suitable for affect the establishment of the Jewish national hearth and the interests of the Jewish population in Palestine, and, always subject to the control of the administration, to help and take part in the development of the country. ” (article 4 of the mandate)

From 1922 to 1929, it is the world Organization Zionist (OSM) itself which assumes this role. Under the name of Executive Zionist of Palestine , this branch of the OSM organizes 6 departments (general policy, immigration, colonization, public works, education, health), and supplants Asefat ha-nivharim quickly (the elected assembly of the Jews of Palestine), and his executive, the Va' AD Le' ummi (National council).

The creation of a specific structure (1929)

In 1929, the OSM makes 2 decisions:

To create a specific Jewish Agency, under its responsibility.
To open to the Jewish Agency with Jews not Zionists (religious, Jewish American). It should be noted that the Parti revisionist was firmly opposed to this opening.

The decision of 1929 is not a frank rupture since the administrative structures of the Jewish Agency existed in fact since 1922, under the authority of the OSM. The Jewish Agency takes them again.

It remains moreover under the authority of the OSM, but with an opening. Indeed, of the Jews not Zionists, as private individuals of the American givers, enter the authorities which surpervisent the agency. This entry does not mean their rallying with the Zionism (Leon Blum, which is not Zionist, in fact part). It expresses simply the will to help the European Jews which leave the Europe Central and Eastern in prey with a Antisémitisme crescent to find a land of welcome, per hour or the E. - U. and Western Europe close their doors.

For the same reason, they is as from 1929 as the ultra-orthodoxe Jews (Haredim) and their political party, the Agoudat Israel, historically very antisionists, accept a collaboration limited with the Agency, in order to make it possible their immigrants to settle in Palestine. It is about a pragmatic collaboration, not of one support for the creation of a Jewish State.

But this entry of the not-Zionists does not prevent that the Jewish agency will firmly remain held by the Zionists.

From 1929, the Jewish Agency more and more will purely structure like an organization Palestinian, directed by alive Jews to Palestine, whereas the OSM remains dominated by the Jews of the Diaspora.

The takeover of the Jewish Agency by the left (1929-1935)

The left, very present the Palestinian Yichouv quickly, enters forces some within the Jewish Agency. The Socialist Haïm Arlozorov becomes the director of the political department of the Jewish Agency. This station, it negotiates in 1933 with the Third Reich an agreement supporting the transfers of the funds of the German Jews emigrating towards the Palestine agent. He is assassinated on June 16th, 1933. The line of the Party Revisionist is shown crime (still today, nobody knows who killed Haïm Arlozorov). See the chapter: Zionism revisionist: Fascistic temptation and Birionim (1928-1933).

This crime will have several important consequences for the future of the Agency:

rise of the left.

After a vigorous campaign against the “fascistic danger”, the left obtains 44% of the votes to the elections of the OSM of 1933. Consequently, the left parties (especially the Mapaï) based in Palestine, exert a determining influence within the OSM and of the Jewish Agency. Although the Agency is formally directed by the OSM, in fact now the Palestinian authorities (and in particular the Jewish Agency) influence the OSM.

the departure of the right-hand side revisionist

Shown assassination of Arlozorov, the Left Revisionist, marginalized, leaves the OSM in 1935, still reinforcing the capacity of the left within the Jewish Agency.

the come to power of David Ben Gourion.

This one was the chief of the Histadrout since 1921. This station, it capped the Haganah. He was also the strong man of the Mapaï, the Jewish political principal party of the Yichouv. After the assassination of Arlozorov, he becomes logically the president of the Jewish Agency in 1935. He will only leave this station to become the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel, in 1948.

The assertion of the Jewish Agency like centers capacity Zionist (1933-1935)

After 1933-1935, the Jewish Agency became the true center of the capacity Zionist, more than the OSM, or more than the assembly of the Jews of Palestine, Asefat ha-nivharim.

The heart of the capacity Zionist is now based in Palestine, and either as a Diaspora. It on the other hand has the characteristic not to be elected by the Jews of Palestine, but (through the OSM) not the whole of the Jews Zionists, as well as a diaspora as in Palestine. The difference is however not very important: the left Zionist is dominant as well within the OSM as in Palestine.

The Jewish Agency is transformed into true government.

This government has a diplomacy, in particular through its political department and indirectly through the diplomatic structures of the OSM.
It has a police force, the Jewish police force of Palestine.
It has a Parliament, with the restricted capacity, Asefat ha-nivharim.
It has an army, Haganah, forces clandestine Jewish tolerated by the British, and whose control passes from Histadrout to the Agency in 1931 (what is rather theoretical: they are same the people who direct the two organizations).

But this state must also constitute its population.

The Jewish population increases quickly since the Twenties. In the years 1930, it is the Jewish Agency which takes again the role of integration of the immigrants. To make come and integrate the Jews (especially European) is the priority of the Jewish Agency and Ben Gourion. The British give him a certain number of annual visas, whose Jewish Agency decides methods of attribution. This control is obviously a source of being able: without refusing the arrival of the militants of the other parties, the Jewish Agency supports the militants of left however.

The Jewish population will pass from 83.000 at the end of 1918 to 650.000 in 1947. More, to see the detailed article: Aliyah.

The conflict with the British (1939-1948)

End 1935 to 1939, Palestinian Arabic raises itself against the British mandate and colonization Zionist. This rising is finally repressed (with the assistance of Haganah, which is reinforced thus).

But in 1939, the British estimate that they must find a political solution with the Palestinian problem. They thus publish “white paper”. Jewish immigration is practically stopped. In 1949, Palestine will have to become a unit independent state, therefore with Arab majority.

The reaction of the movement Zionist will be organized around the Jewish Agency. It is done initially in the field of clandestine immigration. The Jewish Agency creates the Mossad Aliyah Beth, structure clandestine escaping the British, to organize the clandestine immigration of the Jews towards the Holy Lands. Clandestine immigration will be practically stopped between 1942 and 1945 because of war, but it will bring nearly 80.000 people in Palestine between 1939 and 1947.

The reaction of the Jewish Agency is done then in the diplomatic field: in 1942, with the congress Zionist of Biltmore, the OSM decides to require a Jewish state on all Palestine. The diplomats Zionists (of the political department of the Jewish Agency) put themselves then at work (especially after 1945), near the governments and of the public opinions, to defend this orientation. The bonds are broken with the historical ally, the British. These diplomats work in practice under the direction of Ben Gourion. The same applies to the OSM. Besides this one will not have any more a president between 1946 and 1956 (following the resignation of Haïm Weizmann, regarded as too pro-British), which still increases the capacity of the Jewish Agency. In this diplomatic field, the Jewish Agency will obtain results: in 1947, so much Soviet whom French or American decides to support the creation of Israel with UNO.

The reaction of the Jewish Agency is done finally by the confrontation direct with the British. So of 1939 to 1945, the Jewish Agency invites the Jews of Palestine to begin in the British army against the Nazi, between the summer 1945 and 1948, it engages in a military and political confrontation with the Britannique capacity. Its armed wing, Haganah is devoted to many sabotages (generally not mortals), and the Jewish Agency organizes many strikes and demonstrations.

The creation of the State (1948)

In 1948, UNO decides the creation of two states on Palestine. See the detailed article: Plane of division of Palestine.

Since 1947, Ben Gourion prepares the war which he thinks probable with Palestinian Arabic and the Arab countries. The Jewish Agency launches out in a policy of armament to large scales. Workshops produce weapons in Palestine, and surpluses of the Second world war are bought through all planet. Soviet, in particular, agrees to provide weapons to large scales. Much could be conveyed only after the creation of the Jewish state (May 1948), but they will make it possible at the young state to gain the war of independence.

In October 1947, a joint committee of the Va' AD Le' ummi (National council) and Jewish Agency prepares the framework " constitutionnel" future state.

March 1st, 1948, a council of the people is set up. Three weeks later, its 37 members approve the formula of a provisional government.

May 14th, 1948, it is David Ben Gourion, president of the Jewish Agency which pronounces the Déclaration of Independence of the State of Israel. The 37 members of the council of the people transform themselves then into provisional government of the new state. In practice, it is especially the Jewish Agency which forms the new government:

Its president, Ben Gourion, becomes the first chief of the government of Israel,
the chief of the political department of the Agency, Moshé Sharett is named Foreign Minister,
the treasurer of the Agency, Eliezer Kaplan, becomes Minister for Finance.

After the creation of the state

After the creation of the state, the Jewish Agency does not disappear, but it loses all its governmental capacities, transferred to the Israeli government.

He thus remain a role which was already it his before 1948: immigration.

Since 1948, it is the Jewish Agency, become an public agency of the Israélien government (and which does not depend any more a world Organization Zionist), which is in charge of propaganda in favor of immigration within the Diaspora, and of the reception of the new immigrants (in particular the management of the centers of absorption).

For this reason, it managed the immigration of several million people. More, to see the chapter Aliyah: After the creation of Israel (1948-2005).

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