The Jewish Trail of Tears The Evian Conference of ... - Haruth.com

economic absorptive capacity of the Mandate. Such a focus on Palestine gained the
support of the Jewish Agency for Palestine and the Joint Distribution Committee.
The principal figures of the larger organizations attempted to prevent the
appearance of smaller Jewish groups before the Conference as a means of creating the
façade of joint action. Professor Benjamin Akzin criticized the leadership of some of the
more prominent Jewish associations, especially Norman Bentwich, for acting as if they
were the official spokesmen of the collective Jewish people. Such individuals, Akzin
believed, were “extremely displeased” with the attendance of the lesser blocs at the
Conference who were regarded as interlopers or “minor leaguers” and did not warrant
time to present their case before the technical sub-committee. The self elected elite
believed that only one, two or three representatives should appear before the conference
“in the name of all the Jewish federations” prompting Akzin and others to protest in the
“name of democracy” The subsequent internecine conflict led the directorate of the Evian
Conference to permit all representatives of Jewish organizations to speak but “what took
place was a tragicomedy, with plenty of the comedy element.” Each organization was
allotted only five to ten minutes; a clear sign that “the committee did not take it
seriously.” 48
The decision of the White sub-committee to significantly curtail
presentation time essentially negated the efforts of the attendant organizations. Twenty
four groups who had hoped to offer evidence in support of their cause were limited to
minutes resulting in confusion and disarray. 49
48 Recorded interview between Prof. Benjamin Akzin and Beit-Zvi, September 7, 1972 cited in Beit-Zvi,
“Post-Ugandan Zionism,” 149.
49 Adler-Rudel, “The Evian Conference,” 239; “Nations Gathered at Evian for First Refugee Parley,” The
Southern Israelite, July 8, 1938, 8. Adler-Rudel’s description of the event captures the tenor of the
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