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Compromise on Identity Card
Fails; B-G Remains Hopeful
in Debate on 'Who Is a Jew
0-,
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News)
es
T.:.
Gs.
JERUSALEM — An extraordinary meeting of the Israel
Cabinet, capping a week of intensive negotiations, failed to
find an acceptable compromise Tuesday, and Premier David
Ben-Gurion went before the Israel Knesset to announce the
resignation of two members of. his Cabinet representing the
United Religious Party.
However, the Premier announced that he would tempo-
rarily hold both portfolios, Religion and Posts, giving rise to
hopes that the religious ministers and three deputy ministers
who quit at the same time would soon rejoin the coalition
government. Even without them, Ben-Gurion still commands
a slight majority.
Though the negotiations seemed to be making progress,
the Premier made his announcement in Parliament to fore-
stall a demand from the opposition for a debate on the Cabi-
net crisis. As a result, when the Herut, rightwing opposition
. party, did offer such a motion, it was defeated.
The crisis developed over insistence by leftwing and labor
members of the Cabinet on the right of an individual to iden-
tify himself as a Jew on the official identity card without
reference to any standards.
The religious ministers, backed by religious authorities
throughout the land, insisted that a person must meet rigid
tests according to Jewish law before being identified as a Jew.
Citation to Albert Elazar Honors
10 Years of Work in Hebrew Schools
•
Govt. Heeds
Religious Needs
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—While
the resignation of the Qrthodox
Ministers from the Israel Cabi-
net is one of the major issues
rfl
in the country, a number of
developments herd pointed to
;a
the fact that the government
has always been attentive to the
religious sentiments of its mem-
C
bers and to that part of the
og
Jewish population which is
strictly Orthodox.
Acting on a decision of the
Cabinet. all government - oper-
E.
ated kitchens are being "kash-
ALBERT ELAZAR (left) receives a scroll from. IRA G.
ered" to make them accessible
KAUFMAN, secretary of the United Hebrew Schools, for 10
to strict observers of Kashrut.
To date, all police kitchens, years of service to the schools as superintendent. The citation,
presented last week at the schools' annual meeting, recognizes
railway workshops and mining
•
Elazar as the leader who "guided our Schools to their present
enterprises in the Negev have
been converted to kashrut. The growth, serving more than 3,000 children in our community
daily." Also cited was the superintendent's "patient resource-
process of converting other
fulness and vision" in developing students, teachers and bring-
state - operated kitchens is ex-
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — The ' At the same time, Interior pected to be completed by next
ing about the Midrasha, College of Jewish Studies.
United Religious Party execu-; Minister Israel Bar Yehudah, month.
tive gave official sanction this ' whose identity cards precipi-
The Ministry for Religious Business on Both Sides of the Street?
week to a decision earlier in the tated the current situation, told
week of its Ministers to quit the a press conference that he Affairs announced that it has
coalition government in protest would support a proposal that arranged for the circumcision
against the Cabinet's approval faith and nationality not be in of over 2,000 males between the
of regulations which would, in eluded on an individual's card, ages of 2 to 20 during the last
effect, identify as a Jew any but that he merely be identified few years. The youths are chil-
dren of new immigrants from
one who so designates himself as to citizenship status.
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. Israel stand of the Arab states.
on his official identity card.
At the United Nations, the
The issue of the identity East European countries who (JTA)—Dr. Kwame Nkrumah,
were
unable
to
have
the
rite
Prime Minister of Ghana, has Egyptian delegation announced
It was further decided that cards was understood to be a
performed
in
their
wanderings
agreed with President Nasser that Nasser has accepted an
that the two Ministers and three basic one for the religious
Deputy Ministers representing parties because state permission during and after the World of the United Arab Republic invitation to visit Ghana in the
that the two countries will con- near future with the view of
the religious bloc should sub- i to any citizen not belonging to War.
mit their resignations in writ- any other faith to register him-
A spokesman for the Ministry tinue to support the principles coordinating relations between
ing. Minister of Religion Moshe ,' self as Jewish would diminish said that the circumcisions had of the Afro-Asian countries the two countries.
Shapiro conveyed this decision i the Chief Rabbiniate's control been performed at the request - adopted at Bandung, , Indonesia,
ACCRA, Ghana (JTA) —
to Premier David Ben-Gurion 1 over issues of personal status, of parents or of the youths in April 1955 as well as to urge Ghanian-Israeli affairs were re-
orally. i such as marriage, divorce and themselves. About 70 percent of "a just solution of the Palestine viewed in the National Assem-
Though there was no differ- I inheritance. The r e 1 i g i o u s the boys are between 2 and question," according to a state- bly this week in a formal mes-
ence of opinion over quitting ; parties contend that the identity 10 years of age, while the re- ment issued here this week by sage from the Governor Gen-
the Cabinet, the religious lead-icard claim runs counter to the mainder ranged up to 20 years the UAR delegation.
eral opening the session. The
ers differed among themselves age-old criteria by which an in- of age, the spokesman stated.
Dr. Nkrumah and Col. Nas- message reported plans for the
The
charge
of
20
Israeli
pounds
on conditions under which they dividual's Jewishness has been '
ser, the UAR delegation here setting up of a Ghanian Em-
would agree to return to the determined. They have proposed per operation was borne by the reported, issued their statement bassy in Israel and spoke of
coalition. Some would be pre- that identity cards should not' Ministry for Religious Affairs.
at the conclusion of the Ghan- Israeli arrangements for pro-
pared to let the quarrel drop include the holder's religion at
Dr. Yitzhak Kister. of the Tel ian Prime Minister's state visit viding the new African Com-
if the question of religion was all.
Aviv District Court, ruled this to Cairo. The two leaders "ex- monwealth with technical ad-
completely eliminated from the j The Chief Rabbinate has al- week that a foundling adopted pressed anew their deep con- vice for development projects.
Also, the message reviewed
card, while others demanded a ' ready issued a directive to all in Israel could be regarded as cern over the question of Pal-
return to the situation when ; its branches in Israel- to dis- Jewish for civil purposes. The estine, which is a disturbing the two-country pact, which
Mr. Shapiro was in charge of : regard the religious designation ruling was issued in the case of factor of world peace and se- had established the Ghanian-
registration of Israeli citizens. ; in the identity cards and to in- a farm worker who five years curity." The joint statement flag Black Star Lines and said
ago found a healthy girl, six also "reaffirms adherence and that a nautical college was
The party pointed out that I vestigate each situation individ- hours old. in an abandoned s u p p o r t" of the principles shaping
up along lines recom-
the issue of self-identification ' ually.
orange grove.
adopted supporting the anti- 1 mended by Israeli experts.
was of world-wide importance.
It was charged that if the new j
.
regulations went into effect
they would open up the flood
gates of assimilation in coun-
SPRING LAKE BEACH, N. J.
Asserting there was "a
state implications can be in-
hended," he reported that in
tries outside Israel through the (JTA)—U. S. Assistant Attor-
serious misconception" about
vestigated and prosecuted by
his office there were more
undermining of the uniqueness
the extent of the enforce-
the United States."
than 500 letters and telegrams
ney General W. Wilson White
of Jews.
, ment powers of the federal
Noting that in the past 18 "urging the Attorney General
The Mapai Party, meanwhile, asserted here that the U. S. De-
government, the official said
months "there have been 44 to direct investigation of these
named a three-member com- partment of Justice opposes re-
"the belief is widely held
bombings in eight states" and crimes by the FBI."
mittee to open negotiations on ! ceiving authority to act against
that any crime with inter-
that "no one has been appre-
AsSerting that "it cannot be
formation of a new coalition the bombings of synagogues in
done," the official said that "to
with all parties now in the gov- I the south because "there are
date
none of these cases has
ernment, including the Relig- grave questions of policy in-
presented facts falling within
ious Party. The committee con- ' volved in such a basic change
the area of any federal crim-
sists of: Mordecai Namir. Min- in the responsibility for law
inal law. Congress has never
ister of Labor; Kaddish Luz, enforcement."
passed a general law giving
Minister of Agriculture, and
LONG BEACH, Calif. (JTA) from parents. Students at City federal jurisdiction over an in-
Speaking before the annual
Akiba Govrin, chairman of the meeting of the Pennsylvania
College
will
be
able
to
obtain
The Jewish Community Coun-
terstate conspiracy to commit
Knesset Labor Committee.
a proxy form at the time of
Bar Association, he said laws
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e,,o la ions were widening the authority of the cil of Long Beach was assured registration to be assured of crimes against the State, nor
conducted by the Mapai com- department to act in such situ- this week by the Superintend- gaining admission to the any other general criminal
statute. The jurisdiction of the
mittee and representatives of ations "would extend the Fed- ent of Schools that Jewish courses they choose.
Department of Justice is strict-
the United Religious Party, and eral police power to a crime teachers and pupils would be
The
School
Superintendent
both groups stress their will ing-
excused from attendance on expressed regrets that no other ly limited to the particular
peculiarly
local
in
nature—the
criminal
laws which have been
ness to reach a modus vivendi,
violent destruction of property the opening day of the fall opening date in September was passed."
though no solution appears in in the community."
semester which this year will feasible and added that the
sight at the moment. A number
He said one other factor
While such an extension of coincide with the first day of Los Angeles and San Diego
of suggestions have been put to
the Jewish New Year.
schools also will open on Sep- "not yet made fully clear in
the religious leaders in the past authority "could be supported
Announcement that the fall tember 15. He said said that public debate on this question
two days, but none have proved under the commerce clause, it
might have an effect foreign to opening would be held on Sep- "our Board of Education and is the substantial aid which
acceptable.
the Department of Justice can
Among the compromise sug- its purpose," he added. "All tember 15 led the Community the boards of the State of Cali- give to State enforcement
gestions offered were substitu- of these bombings appear to Relations Committee of the fornia have really done their authorities.
All the facilities
tion of the category of "com- have their origin in racial or Council to meet with the best to avoid unnecessary con-
of the - FBI laboratory and of
munity" insteati of religion or religious prejudices" which School Superintendent, Doug- flicts from year to year."
nationality. The religious lead- should "unite the communities las A. Newcomb, to discuss the
Max Wisot, chairman of the its identification Office are
ers. however. insisted that any ' concerned in their response to problem. Newcomb said no Community Relations Commit- available on call of the States."
form which allowed an appli- , violence or bigotry." A shift Jewish student or teacher in tee, said that the rabbis and He added the assurance
that
cant to characterize himself as 1 of enforcement responsibility either Long Beach or neighbor- other members of his commit-
"Jewish" without meeting the I to the FBI "could be used by ing Lakewood would suffer any tee "fully anticipate that Jew- the Department of Justice "is
requirements of Jewish religi- I local officials for relaxing their difficulties because of absence. ish students and teachers will cooperating with the local
ous law threatened the status own efforts or for evading
He said students would be attend religious services on auhtorities to the full extent of
of religious institutions.
their respongibility," he said.
excused upon a written note Rosh Hashanah." its jurisdiction•"
EN4
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is
E, _1
Party Backs Ministers Who Quit
Nkrumah and Nasser Fraternize,
While Israel, Ghana Make Pact
Justice Dept. Rejects Authority to Act Against Bombings in South
'Calif. School Board Won't Change
Opening Date from Rosh Hashanah