Zionist Congress Vote in 1931 Could Have Altered Jewish State's Path

A pivotal vote at the 17th Zionist Congress in Basel in 1931, concerning the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, was narrowly decided due to a critical misstep by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, according to attorney Michael Kleiner. While the 1992 Israeli elections are widely remembered, this earlier political drama, which occurred over three generations ago, has largely been forgotten.

At the time, Jabotinsky was considered the natural successor to Chaim Weizmann as head of the Zionist Organization. The main issue at the congress was a declaration stating that the goal of Zionism was the establishment of a Jewish state. Jabotinsky's Revisionist party, allied with the General Zionists and the Mizrachi movement, supported this declaration. However, David Ben-Gurion, leading the dominant Mapai party, sought to prevent Jabotinsky's rise.

Ben-Gurion allegedly orchestrated the sending of a forged telegram from the Haganah intelligence warning of renewed Arab riots if the statehood declaration passed. This telegram was presented on the day of the vote, causing significant alarm. Mapai proposed postponing the vote, a motion supported by the General Zionists and Mizrachi, effectively derailing the immediate decision on statehood.

Following the postponement, Jabotinsky, feeling his chance had passed, tore up his delegate card and lost interest in the congress. Although Mizrachi and the General Zionists later offered him leadership if he received half the executive board seats, they refused to concede on proportional representation, leading to a breakdown in negotiations. Jabotinsky's movement then successfully ousted Weizmann from the presidency. Later that night, Berel Katznelson of Mapai reportedly met with Jabotinsky, who offered to negotiate the composition of the Zionist Executive, but it was too late as an agreement had already been reached.

Kleiner suggests that had Jabotinsky succeeded in his bid for leadership and the statehood declaration passed in 1931, the course of Jewish history might have been significantly different, potentially preventing future hardships. He posits that the Revisionists missed a historic opportunity.