British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Supplement - Page 151

families resident in Palestine for centuries.

The bulk of the

Sephardic community, however, consists of oriental Jews emanating from Syria, Egypt, Persia, Iraq, Georgia, Bokhara and other Eastern countries. They are confined mainly to the larger towns where they have their representative councils orcommittees. The Sephardic Representation in Palestine was created in Jerusalem in May, 1944, with the object of incorporating these local organisations in a central representative body in order to cooperate with the Jewish national and other institutions.

Owing to the lack of effective leadership, internal dissension, the alleged machinations of certain powerful left wing groups and the immaturity of the Sephardic masses for modern civic and economic life, the central body has not achieved political status and, as a result, many Sephardic Jews are associated with established political movements, particularly of the right wing. Dissatisfaction, shared by the Revisionists and other right wing groups, with the system governing the appointment of the Elected Assembly has prevented their participation in that body and the General Council. At a countrywide convention held in January this year it was resolved to strive for adequate representation in the institutions of the Zionist Organisation and the Yishuv, to support the struggle for the abrogation of the White Paper of 1939 and to secure the abolition of the Middle Eastern Diaspora. The Sephardic community operates an independent labour organisation but owing to financial difficulties many of its members have been absorbed by the General Federation of Jewish Labour which claims the support of some 20,000 Sepbardim. The Sephardic Representation is affiliated w-th the World Sephardic Association.

YEMENITE JEWS ASSOCIATION.

This association is not a political party but participates in the activities of the World Zionist Organisation and the Elected Assembly in Palestine. It is concerned mainly with the social and cultural welfare of the Yemenite Jewish communities in Palestine, Yemen and Aden. It claims to represent over 35,000 persons in Palestine and associates itself with the right wing maximalist programme. Ths association has a workers organisation which constitutes a faction within the General Federation of Jewish Labour. At the Palestine elections to the 22nd Zionist Congress this association polled 1,640 votes, or 1% of the total, while its labour faction associated itself with the Achdut AvodaPoalei Zion list and secured 297 votes.

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