Direct JTA Teletype Wire
To The Jewish News
JERUSALEM—President Ben-
Zvi on Thursday began the cus-
tomary formal consultations
with party leaders before call-
ing on one of them to try to
form a new coalition govern-
ment. He is expected to appoint
David Ben-Gurion for the task.
The Prime Minister met Tues-
day -,:ight with General Zionist
leaders despite flat statements
by Alapam and Achdut Avodah
leaders that they would not join
a coalition in which the General
Zionists were participants. Ben-
Gurion said again that he
wanted a broad coalition, in-
cluding both the General Zion-
ists and the two left wing
parties.
The newly - elected Knesset.
Israel's fourth Parliament since
the establishment of the state,
convened Monday afternoon and
elected Kaddish Luz, leader of
Premier Ben-Gurion's Mapai
party, as Speaker of the House.
Luz was Minister of Agriculture
in the outgoing Cabinet. Prior
to Luz's election as Speaker, his
resignation from the govern-
ment was announced by Pre-
mier Ben - Gurion. With the
Communist deputies abstaining,
Luz was elected by 112 votes.
The Communists explained
their abstention as an expres-
sion of protest for not including
one of their -members among
the Deputy Speakers.
The president's flag was
borne into the Knesset—which
still convenes in the improvised
foyer of premises intended for
a bank — as the distinguished
guests took their seats. They
included all ex-members of the
previous houses, Chief Rabbi
Yitzhak Nissim, members of the
Supreme Court and f or m e r
French Premier Pierre Mendes-
France, currently visiting Israel.
After reviewing the Knesset's
guard of honor, President Ben-
Zvi entered the chamber and in
a brief address, welcomed the
new and veteran legislators, and
wished them a productive ses-
sion. Former Speaker Nahum
Nir was invited to preside as
the oldest member of:the house.
He called on each m e rri b e r
alphabetically to take the oath
and maintain the laws. of . the
St at e. Interpreters translated
the entire proceedings via an
earphone system for the benefit
of the seven Arab members.
Both President Ben-Zvi and
Nir paid tribute to the late
Speaker of the Knesset, Yosef
Sprinzak, Deputy Speaker Israel
Rokach and other members who
died during the past year. Luz,
the new Speaker, who is 64, was
born in Bobroisk, Russia, and
studied at universities in Es-
thonia and France. He was an
officer of the Russian Army
during World War I and was
later one of the leaders of the
labor movement in Palestine.
There are 12 parties in the
Fourth Knesset, nine of them
Jewish and three Arab—one
Moslem, one Christian-Arab
and one Druze. The three
Arab parties are all pro-
Mapai and generally vote with
Mapai.
There were fewer women
in this Knesset than in the
three preceding assemblies—
only nine women having won
seats. Esther Wilenska, the
Communist leader who served
in every Israeli parliament,
failed of election to this one.
The youngest member of the
house is Moshe Benjamin Nis-
sim, 23, son of the Sephardic
Chief Rabbi, who was elected
on the General Zionist ticket.
Minister of Labor Mordechai
Namir will give up his portfolio
to become Mayor of Tel Aviv.
Minister of Education Zalman
Aranne and Minister of Social
Welfare Peretz Naftali are not
inclined to continue holding
their present portfolios. The
fate of another Mapai Cabinet
member, Minister of Police
Behor Shitree t, is _ not yet
known. His Ministry is expected
to be incorporated in another
portfolio.
The National Religious Party,
including the Mizrachi and Ha-
poel Hamizrachi, emerged as a
factor in the negotiations for
the formation of the new coali-
tion. Leaders of the party met
with Ben-Gurion.
The turn in the status of the
religious group is said to be the
result of the conference held
by Ben-Gurion and Rabbi J. L.
Maimon. The rabbi, known as
"the grand old man" of Miz-
rachi," reportedly persuaded
Ben-Gurion to make peace with
Moshe Shapiro, the f or m e r
Cabinet member, and leader of
Hapoel Hamizrachi, who left
the Cabinet during the quarrel
with Ben-Gurion over the issue
about "Who Is a Jew?"
The Detroit Jewish commu-
nity will take a look backward
over 60 years of achievement
and a look into the community's
future at the 60th anniversary
dinner and celebration of the
United Jewish Charities. 6:30
p.m., Sunday,- at the Jewish
Center, 18100 Meyers.
Mapai Considers Coalition
The Prime Minister, it was
understood, would leave several
cabinet portfolios open for the
anticipated additional coalition
partners. It was presumed that
he wanted so small a coalition
on the premise that talks with
the other parties will be
lengthy and that coalition would
strengthen his hand in negotiat-
ing with the Mapam, Achdut
Avodah and the National Reli-
gious Party, and perhaps accele•
rate their joining.
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
To The Jewish News
JERUSALEM — The possi-
bility emerged from negotia-
tions Tuesday that the tiny Pro-
gressive Party would join with
Prime Minister Ben-Gurion's
Mapai Party to enable the
Prime Minister to present - a
"narrow coalition" to the Knes-
set while continuing talks for
a broader coalition.
Map a i and the Mapai-
-
Charles Aaron, president of
the Jewish Federation of Metro-
politan Chicago, will be prin-
cipal speaker.
affiliated Arab parties, plus the
Progressives have 58 seats in
the 120-member Knesset—three
short of a majority. However,
the six deputies of the ultra-
Orthodox Agudat Israel have
been instructed by their rab-
binical leaders to abstain during
the required Knesset vote of
confidence for the new govern-
ment. The projected "narrow"
coalition would thus have a
slim majority of the other 114
votes.
Mayor Louis C. Miriani will
greet the assembled guests.
Judge Theodore Levin is cele-
bration chairman.
Justice Henry M. Butzel, one
of the UJC incorporators, who
was chairman of the building
committee for the Hannah
Schloss B u i l d i n g—the first
structure built under Jewish
communal auspices, dedicated
in 1903—will salute the de-
scendants of former leaders.
Mrs. Joseph H. Ehrlich will
present a special message.
Max J. Zivian, the United
Jewish Charities' present and
13th president, will report on
UJC achievements, purposes
and endowment funds.
There will be an exhibit of
materials tracing the history of
Jews in Detroit prepared by
Irving I. Katz, executive secre-
tary of Temple Beth El.
Dr. Clarence Hilberry, pres-
ident of Wayne State Univer-
sity, and Leonard N. Simons
will announce plans for pub-
lication of a history of Detroit
Jewry.
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3-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, December 4, 1959
Knesset Reconvenes; Mapai Leader Justice Butzel, Mrs. Ehrlich, Chas. Aaron,
Kaddish Luz Is Elected Speaker
Max Zivian to Address UJIC Celebration