Labor Gains Majority in the Knesset
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The secretar-
iat of the Israel Labor Party voted
242 to 146 Oct. 23 to approve an
alignment with Mapam, the left-
wing labor party, creating for labor
the first parliamentary majority in
Israel's history. The alignment
gives the combined labor factions
67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset
(Parliament). It is not a merger,
but it provides for a common list
of candidates in national and local
elections and in the councils of
Histadrut, Israel's powerful labor
federation.
Khoushi, the veteran mayor of
Haifa and a power in Israeli poli-,
tics for 20 years , said the Mapam
Arab members should appear on
the lists of the Labor Party's Arab
affiliates. His proposal was defeat-,
ed however as was a proposal to
postpone the effective date of the
alignment until after the next,
general elections which are sched-
uled to take place in the fall of
eran labor leaders, ratification
came only after hours of heated de-
bate. The main point at issue was
Mapam's insistence on including its
Arab members on the joint elec-
toral lists as it has always done on
its own lists in the past. The Labor
Party has no Arab members but
is affiliated with Arab parties that
present separate lists to the voters.
The Labor Party negotiators
agreed to the Mapam demand but
a faction in the secretariat de-
manded that Mapam adhere to the
Labor Party pr a c t i c e. Abba
The results of the vote were hail-
ed today by Pinhas Sapir, secre- Federations Council
tary-general of the Israel Labor
Party and Israel's former minister Sets General Assembly
of finance who called it "very ATLANTA — Fifteen hundred
encouraging." But Shimon Peres, Jewish leaders, representing vir-
leader of the former Rafi faction [
ii every community with an
,
in the Labor Party, called the tunny
alignment a "mistake." Rafi mem- appreciable
Jewish
population
in
United States
and
Canada, will
bers were strongly opposed to the participate in the 37th annual gen-
alignment, at least at this time. eral assembly of the Council of
only a year before Israel's next Jewish Federations and Welfare
general elections. But there seem- i Funds, Nov. 13-17 at the Regency
ed little chance that any of them Hyatt H h
would leave the Labor Party as a
The CJFWF is
result of yesterday's vote. Gen.
Moshe Dayan, Israel's defense the national as-
minister and a Rafi leader, indi- sociation of 222
cated that he did not intend to 1 o c a I J e w i s h
resign Mapam leaders welcomed . federations, wel-
the decision as paving th e way for' fare funds and
a labor government in Israel and community coun-
said it would be ratified by the ells — serving as
party next month.
! the central Jew-
ish organizations
The vote by the Labor Party in 800 communi-
secretariat ratified an agreement ties. Lo u i s J.
reached after months of negotia- Fox of Baltimore
tion by a specially appointed corn is president.
mittee of the Labor Party and
Major items on
Fox
Mapam. The committee included the assembly agenda will be
Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Sapir strengthening of American Jewish
and Mrs. Golda Meier, former life. Among the speakers are
secretary-general of the Labor Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's ambassa-
Party, who was once Israel's for- dor to the United States, and Max
eign minister. Despite the power- M. Fisher of Detroit. vice presi-
ful political support of these vet- dent of the Council.
■
Knesset Extends Service
in Military to 3 Years
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Knes-
set foreign affairs and security
committee decided Tuesday to ex-
tend the period of military service
to ts from 30
for all m
months to three years. The new
order affects soldiers who were to
have been released next year after
Mapam also won points in the
agreement pertaining to the His-
tadrut elections. It reserved the
right to vote there as a separate
faction on questions concerning
wage policy and workers' condi-
tions. With an absolute majority in
the Knesset, the allied labor
Iarties could theoretically establish
3 labor government, thus eliminat-
'ng the coalition that has prevailed
ince Israel achieved independence
n 1948.
ISRAEL
BOND OFFICE
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OPEN SUNDAYS
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
-
IP TOO 111921 THE
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1
The issue was brought up in
the Knesset by Elias Nakhleb, an
Arab member whose party is a
Labor affiliate. He said he could
not accept the idea that Arab
members of Mapam would ap-
pear on the combined lists while
Arab affiliates of the Labor
Party remained on separate lists.
-
THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
6—Friday, November 1, 1968
Only in America
could you find
two Phillips
stores at
Northland
Phillips shoes
for the rest of the year
Florsheim • Red Cross • Hush Puppiee•Italian Imports
DI. 1-5707
2 STORES AT NORTHLAND
Reserve Important Date for
Outstanding Community Event
BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY'S
ANNUAL DINNER
Dr. Max Jammer
Pres., Bar-Ilan U.
Guest Speaker
Marking Vast Advancement of the
Great University in Israel
Wednesday Evening, December 4
at LOBO HALL
Phillip Stollman
National Chairman, Board of
Trustees of Bar-Ilan University
Guest Speaker:
DR. MAX JAMMER
President of Bar-Ilan University
For Reservations Call DI 1-0708
or Contact Bar-Ilan Office, 18033 Wyoming
Joseph H. , Jackier
General Banquet Chairmail
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