Jewish Agency Mourns Passing of Harold Laski; Calis Him Staunch Supporter of Zionism

The Jewish Agoncy paid tribute today to the late Harold Laski, who napped the ascendancy of the British Labor Party to power and who died here on Friday at the age of 56. The Agency statement lamented the passing of “a staunch supporter of Zionism and a great friend of Jewish labor.”

Stressing Mr. Laski’s “pride in his Jewishness and his frequent proclamation of his belief in Jewish national aspirations,” the statement recalled that Prof. Laski “challenged Foreign Secretary Bevin’s policy on Palestine and accused the Socialist Government of betraying its pledges to the Jewish people.” The Agency statement also noted that Mr. Laski, at the invitation of President Chaim Weizmann, planned to go to Israel in April. It was also noted that Prof. Laski declared recently that he was proud that Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett of Israel had been one of his students.

A delegation from the Labor Zionist Organization of Britain will attend Mr. Laski’s funeral tomorrow. The World Jewish Congress paid tribute to him by recalling his “sympathy and profound interest in both the national efforts in Palestine and Jewish problems in the Diaspora.”