Biltmore Conference

The Biltmore Conference , also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program , was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policy with its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." The meeting was held in New York City at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel from May 6 to May 11, 1942 with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders from 18 countries attending. Prior to Biltmore, official Zionism steadfastly refused to formulate the ultimate aim of the movement preferring instead to concentrate on the practical task of building the Jewish National Home . The Biltmore Program became the official Zionist stand on the ultimate aim of the movement. The major shift at Biltmore was prompted by intense common opposition to the British White Paper of 1939 , which interpreted the terms of the Mandate in a way that would freeze "the Jewish community to a permanent minority status," and the then-current war negative situation. It was also prompted by the realization that America would play a larger part in fulfillment of Zionist designs after the war. Official Zionism’s firm, unequivocal stand did not please every one, however. The pro-British Chaim Weizmann had bristled at them and bi-nationalists such as Henrietta Szold and Judah L. Magnes rejected them and broke off to establish their own party, Ichud (Unification), that advocated an Arab – Jewish Federation. Opposition to the Biltmore Program also lead to the founding of the anti-Zionist American Council for Judaism Various Zionist and non-Zionist Jewish organizations were represented in the American Emergency Committee of Zionist Affairs, which called an "Extraordinary Zionist Conference" as a substitute for the full (22nd) Zionist Congress which had been cancelled due to World War II . Attendees included Chaim Weizmann , as President of the World Zionist Organization , David Ben-Gurion as Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive, and Nahum Goldmann as a member of the Executive of the Zionist Organization of America . The four main organisations of American Jewry represented were: the Zionist Organization of America, Hadassah , Mizrahi , and Poale Zion . American Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944) Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214 Michael Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, Decision at Biltmore, pp 442-445 Convening in the art deco dining halls of New York’s Biltmore Hotel in May 1942, Zionist representatives approved an eight point plan that, for the first time, explicitly called for the creation of a “Jewish Commonwealth integrated in the structure of the new democratic world.” Gone were the proposals for an amorphous Jewish national home in Palestine, for carving out Jewish cantons and delineating autonomous regions with and over arching Arab state. Similarly, effaced was the long-standing Zionist assumption that Palestine's fate would be decided in London. Instead, the the delegates agreed that the United States constituted the new Zionist “battleground” and that Washington would have the paramount say in the struggle for Jewish sovereignty. Henceforth the Zionist movement would strive for unqualified Jewish independence in Palestine, for a state with recognized borders, republican institutions, and a sovereign Army, to be attained in cooperation with America.

The Biltmore Conference , also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program , was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policy with its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." The meeting was held in New York City at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel from May 6 to May 11, 1942 with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders from 18 countries attending. Prior to Biltmore, official Zionism steadfastly refused to formulate the ultimate aim of the movement preferring instead to concentrate on the practical task of building the Jewish National Home . The Biltmore Program became the official Zionist stand on the ultimate aim of the movement. According to Ben-Gurion, the "first and essential" stage of the program was the immigration of two million additional Jews to Palestine, a target which later became official Zionist policy after being revised downwards in the One Million Plan . The major shift at Biltmore was prompted by intense common opposition to the British White Paper of 1939 , which interpreted the terms of the Mandate in a way that would freeze "the Jewish community to a permanent minority status," and the then-current war negative situation. It was also prompted by the realization that America would play a larger part in fulfillment of Zionist designs after the war. Official Zionism’s firm, unequivocal stand did not please every one, however. The pro-British Chaim Weizmann had bristled at them and bi-nationalists such as Henrietta Szold and Judah L. Magnes rejected them and broke off to establish their own party, Ichud (Unification), that advocated an Arab – Jewish Federation. Opposition to the Biltmore Program also lead to the founding of the anti-Zionist American Council for Judaism . Various Zionist organizations were represented in the American Emergency Committee of Zionist Affairs, which called an "Extraordinary Zionist Conference" as a substitute for the full (22nd) Zionist Congress which had been cancelled due to World War II . Attendees included Chaim Weizmann , as President of the World Zionist Organization , David Ben-Gurion as Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive, and Nahum Goldmann as a member of the Executive of the Zionist Organization of America . The four main organisations of American Jewry represented were: the Zionist Organization of America, Hadassah , Mizrahi , and Poale Zion . American Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944) Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214 Michael Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, Decision at Biltmore, pp 442-445 Convening in the art deco dining halls of New York’s Biltmore Hotel in May 1942, Zionist representatives approved an eight-point plan that, for the first time, explicitly called for the creation of a “Jewish Commonwealth integrated in the structure of the new democratic world.” Gone were the proposals for an amorphous Jewish national home in Palestine, for carving out Jewish cantons and delineating autonomous regions with an overarching Arab state. Similarly, effaced was the long-standing Zionist assumption that Palestine's fate would be decided in London. Instead, the delegates agreed that the United States constituted the new Zionist “battleground” and that Washington would have the paramount say in the struggle for Jewish sovereignty. Henceforth the Zionist movement would strive for unqualified Jewish independence in Palestine, for a state with recognized borders, republican institutions, and a sovereign Army, to be attained in cooperation with America.

The Biltmore Conference , also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program , was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policy with its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." The meeting was held in New York City at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel from May 6 to May 11, 1942 with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders from 18 countries attending. The Biltmore Program has been described by a number of historians as "a virtual coup d’etat " within the Zionist movement, in which more moderate leaders were replaced with leaders with more aggressive goals. American Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944) Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214 Michael Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, Decision at Biltmore, pp 442-445 Convening in the art deco dining halls of New York’s Biltmore Hotel in May 1942, Zionist representatives approved an eight-point plan that, for the first time, explicitly called for the creation of a “Jewish Commonwealth integrated in the structure of the new democratic world.” Gone were the proposals for an amorphous Jewish national home in Palestine, for carving out Jewish cantons and delineating autonomous regions with an overarching Arab state. Similarly, effaced was the long-standing Zionist assumption that Palestine's fate would be decided in London. Instead, the delegates agreed that the United States constituted the new Zionist “battleground” and that Washington would have the paramount say in the struggle for Jewish sovereignty. Henceforth the Zionist movement would strive for unqualified Jewish independence in Palestine, for a state with recognized borders, republican institutions, and a sovereign Army, to be attained in cooperation with America. Many historians view the Biltmore Program as evidence of a virtual coup d'etat within the Zionist movement: The Young Turks, represented by David Ben-Gurion of the Yishuv-based Jewish Agency Executive, replaced their more moderate elders, represented by the London-based Chaim Weizmann , at the head of the World Zionist Organization. Weizmann had advocated gradualism, the partition of Palestine between Jews and Palestinians, and negotiations with Britain. Ben-Gurion championed immediate statehood, the establishment of a Jewish state in all of Palestine, and armed resistance, if necessary, to achieve Zionist goals.

1942 Zionist conference The Biltmore Conference , also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program , was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policy by its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth ." The meeting was held in New York City , at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel , from May 9 to May 11, 1942, with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders from 18 countries attending. The program has been described by a number of historians as "a virtual coup d’état " within Zionism since the movement's more moderate leaders were replaced with leaders with more aggressive goals. Similarly, effaced was the long-standing Zionist assumption that Palestine's fate would be decided in London. Instead, the delegates agreed that the United States constituted the new Zionist “battleground” and that Washington would have the paramount say in the struggle for Jewish sovereignty. Henceforth the Zionist movement would strive for unqualified Jewish independence in Palestine, for a state with recognized borders, republican institutions, and a sovereign Army, to be attained in cooperation with America. Many historians view the Biltmore Program as evidence of a virtual coup d'etat within the Zionist movement: The Young Turks, represented by David Ben-Gurion of the Yishuv-based Jewish Agency Executive, replaced their more moderate elders, represented by the London-based Chaim Weizmann , at the head of the World Zionist Organization. Weizmann had advocated gradualism, the partition of Palestine between Jews and Palestinians, and negotiations with Britain. Ben-Gurion championed immediate statehood, the establishment of a Jewish state in all of Palestine, and armed resistance, if necessary, to achieve Zionist goals.

1942 Zionist conference The Biltmore Conference , also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program , was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policy by its demand "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth ." The meeting was held in New York City , at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel , from May 6 to May 11, 1942, with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders from 18 countries attending. The program has been described by a number of historians as "a virtual coup d’état " within Zionism since the movement's more moderate leaders were replaced by leaders with more aggressive goals. Similarly, effaced was the long-standing Zionist assumption that Palestine's fate would be decided in London. Instead, the delegates agreed that the United States constituted the new Zionist “battleground” and that Washington would have the paramount say in the struggle for Jewish sovereignty. Henceforth the Zionist movement would strive for unqualified Jewish independence in Palestine, for a state with recognized borders, republican institutions, and a sovereign Army, to be attained in cooperation with America. Many historians view the Biltmore Program as evidence of a virtual coup d'etat within the Zionist movement: The Young Turks, represented by David Ben-Gurion of the Yishuv-based Jewish Agency Executive, replaced their more moderate elders, represented by the London-based Chaim Weizmann , at the head of the World Zionist Organization. Weizmann had advocated gradualism, the partition of Palestine between Jews and Palestinians, and negotiations with Britain. Ben-Gurion championed immediate statehood, the establishment of a Jewish state in all of Palestine, and armed resistance, if necessary, to achieve Zionist goals.