Rabin Faces Critica
(Continued from Page 1)
Of more far-reaching im-
portance to Israelis was the
fact that his election, and
the close race made by his
sole opponent, Information
Minister Shimon Peres, has
placed the reins of govern-
ment in the hands of a new
generation of national lead-
ers for the first time in Is-
rael's 26 years of independ-
ence.
Peres is widely regarded
as the real winner in Mon-
day night's central commit-
tee balloting. He lost to Rabin
by a margin of only 8 per
cent of the votes cast. But his
strong showing elevated him
from the position of No. 2
man in the small Rafi faction
hitherto dominated by Moshe
Dayan to No. 2 man in what
is still Israel's most power-
ful political party. The loser
was the old Mapai faction of
the Labor Party which, with
the refusal of Financial Min-
ister Sanir to be a candi-
date, was unable to find a
potential successor to Pre-
mier Golda Meir within its
own ranks.
The Labor Party's leader-
ship, and probably that of
the nation, is now in the
hands of the two smaller la-
bor factions, Ahdut Avoda
which nurtured Rabin, and
Peres' Rafi. Some observers
suggested that this develop-
ment heralds an end to blocs
within the party and new pol-
itical unity in its ranks.
The question asked is whe-
ther it was Peres the indivi-
dual or the political line he
represents that commanded
such strong support within
the party.
His political stance is more
hawkish than that of Rabin
on territorial concessions and
peace terms with the Arabs,
areas in which Israel must
soon make fateful decisions.
The months ahead will tell
whether Rabin and Peres can
form a smooth working team
despite their different out-
looks. The consensus at this
Task; New Election
SHIMON PERES
time is that both men are suf-
ficiently pragmatic to be flex-
ible.
The Labor delegation that
visited President Katzir Tues-
day was headed by the par-
ty's Knesset whip, Moshe
Bar-Am. It consisted of Sec-
retary General Ahron Yadlin
and MKs Yisrael Kargman
(Mapai); Shoshana Arbeli Al-
muzlino (Ahdut Avoda);,,Ma-
tilda Gez (Rafi); and Dov
Zakin (Mapam). The delega-
tion represented a unified
Labor Alignment, Yadlin told
reporters afterwards. Bar-
Am said the guidelines of the
outgoing caretaker govern-
ment could serve as the bas-
is for a new government.
Rabin, as the new Labor
Party leader, said that his
coalition talks with potential
government partners would
be as brief as possible and
that if he found it impossible
to form a new government
within the present political
structure he would have to
call for new elections.
Rabin said he intended to
form a coalition along the
same lines as the outgoing one
—a partnership of the Labor
Alignment with the National
Religious Party and the In-
dependent Liberal Party.
But most political observers
took a dim view of his
chances.
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Bar-Am said the under-
standing reached between the
Labor Alignment an the NRP
on the Who Is a Jew issue
when Mrs. Meir formed her
government still held.
The security situation on
the northern front, which the
NRP leadership cited as their
reason for joining the old coa-
lition in face of bitter opposi-
tion from within the party
and the chief rabbinate, has
worsened over the past
mnoth. But so has the rift
within the NRP.
The NRP's secretary gen-
eral, Zvi Bernstein, said
Tuesday that "the party will
not join any government un-
der conditions that will cause
an internal crisis."
Dr. Joseph Burg, the inter-
ior minister in the caretaker
government, said the small
margin between Rabin and
Peres made it doubtful that
Labor could form a stable
government. "If the idea was
to form a cabinet to serve
only until new elections
there is no point in going
through the agony of new co-
alition talks," Burg said.
Zevulun Hammer, leader
of the NRP's militant "Young
Guard," claimed that Rabin's
"dovish views" were not ac-
ceptable to the NRP which
is adamantly opposed to any
substantial territorial conces-
sions to the Arabs. Accord-
ing to Hammer, there is no
possibility of the NRP joining
a government headed by
Rabin.
Gideon Hausner, speaking
for Labor's other potential
partner, the ILP, expressed
doubt that Rabin will be able
to form a cabinet under pres-
ent conditions. He said the
ILP would not join a govern-
ment based on less than a
majority of seats in the
Knesset unless it called for
new elections at the earliest
possible time.
Zakin said flatly that his
party would never agree to
make concessions to the re-
ligious parties. But Rabbi
Menahem Porush of the ultra-
Orthodox Aguda bloc said
that Rabin represented "ta-
bula ras" (a clean slate) as
far as the religious camp is
concerned.
Likud leader Menahem Be-
gin called on Rabin to return
his mandate to the president
who would then have to ask
Likud, the second largest par-
ty, to form a government. Be-
gin said in that event he
would seek a national coali-
tion. Begin accused the La-
bor Alignment of having no
intention to form a new gov-
ernment but to prolong the
tenure of the caretaker re-
gime until general elections
at the end of the year.
Most observers concede
that major changes will oc-
cur once Rabin takes power.
Foreign Minister A b b a
Eban, who supported the can-
didacy of Peres, is considered
unlikely to remain in office.
Deputy Premier Yigal Allon
is also expected to find it
hard to work under Rabin,
who was once his second in
command in Palmach. Few
observers doubt that Defense
Minister Moshe Dayan will
refuse to join a new cabinet,
even if asked, though some
sources believe he may be
offered a new post, such as
minister in charge of peace
talks.
In addition to a national
unity drive by Likud and pos-
sibly the NRP, Rabin may
in Offing
face a new alignment on the
opposite end of the political
spectrum between the ILP
and Mrs. Shulamit Aloni of
the Citizens Rights Party.
Rabin is not expected to
bind his hands by opening
the doors to a coalition that
includes Begin's party. A
"coalition of doves," on the
other hand, would force the
NRP into the arms of Likud
and leave the government
with a mere 61 votes in the
120-member Knesset. It is be-
lieved, therefore, that if Rabin
cannot form a government
based on the old one, he will
turn to the people for a fresh
mandate.
About 24 hours before his
selection, Rabin came under
attack from Gen. Ezer Weiz-
man of Likud who claimed
that Rabin had suffered a
nervous breakdown while
chief of •staff on the eve of
the 1967 Six-Day War and
was incapable of making de-
cisions thereafter.
The charge by Weizman, a
former air force command-
er, set off political reverbera-
tions in Israel, brought a
prompt reply from Rabin and
a sharp rebuke to Weizman
from Likud leader Gen. Ariel
Sharon.
Rabin responded to Weiz-
man's charges in a state-
ment in which he said:
"Without going into the mo-
tives of those who found it
appropriate to make public
an old story as it was seen
by one man, I confirm that
I was absent from my post as
chief of staff for one day—
from May 23 evening to May
25 morning. On May 23 even-
•ng I called in Weizman and
asked him to step in so I
can have some rest after the
exhausting work of prepar-
ing for the war. On May 25
morning I returned to com-
mand the army and conduct
its activities on the eve and
through the Six-Day War to
the victory."
Sharon, a hero of the Yom
Kippur War, said, "The army
that won the Six-Day War
was the army constructed by
Rabin, prepared by Rabin
for war and led by Rabin to
victory."
According to Weizman's
version, he was summoned to
Rabin's home about 10 days
before the war broke out and
urged by Rabin to take over
as chief of staff because Ra-
bin felt he was incapable of
handling the burden and be-
lieved that, in any event, the
war would be decided in the
air which was Weizman's
area of expertise. Weizman
claimed he was summoned
to Rabin's home on the fol-
lowing days and met there by
the armed forces chief medi-
cal officer, Dr. Eliyahu Gil-
lon, who said Rabin was suf-
fering from acute anxiety
and was being treated with
tranquilizers.
Weizman said he had re-
fused Rabin's request to take
over command on grounds
that the chief of staff's res-
ignation at that time would
have been a victory for the
Arabs and had a demoraliz-
ing effect on Israel's armed
forces. But he claimed that
after hearing the medical re-
port he agreed to issue or-
ders to the armed forces
without confirmation by Ra-
bin. Rabin returned to his of-
fice the next day but lacked
the power of decision through
14 Friday, April 26, 1974
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
—
out the brief war, Weizman
claimed.
His story brought charges
of "character assassination"
and "distortion" from some
military and political quar-
ters.
ZOA Urges National
All-Embracing Govt.
NEW YORK (ZINS)—The
Zionist Organization of Amer-
ica urged President Ephraim
Katzir to use his "presiden-
tial powers and personal in-
fluence to the utmost to bring
about a national all-embrac-
ing government." This action
would "assure unity of pur-
pose and action within Israel
and by Israel, and thereby
command the support of Jews
of the Diaspora on a united`
basis for a just and durable
peace," said the ZOA. The
cable was sent to President
Katzir by Herman L. Weis-
man, president of the ZOA.
"I will be with you, and
guard you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this
land; for I will never forsake
you, until I have done what
I have promised you."
1 5 .
—Gen.
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Cor "Cenci"'
IT
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•
Here are some mind-boggling facts about silver. Facts you
should take a look at if you're still thinking owning silver bullion is a
fad, a lack of confidence, or a risk.
Silver grew to 246.74 0/0 of its original value between Feb-
ruary 15, 1973 and February 15, 1974. That means $1,000
would have grown to $2467.40 during one year.*
The average stock from an evaluation of a major index
declined 28.03% of its original value. $1,000 would have
shrunk to $719.70 in the market during the same period of
time as silver soared .—
Silver grew 59.27% in one month - January 15, 1974 to
February 15, 1974. That's an increase from $3.45 an
ounce to $5.495*.
A silver dollar bought 10 loaves of bread in. 1940. A silver
dollar buys 10 loaves of bread in 1974. That's consistent,
time tested value; honest value.
Where were you last year when silver was skyrocketing? The
projections for this year are even higher. Get the facts from us
about where you should be in 1974.
*Spot silver prices taken from the New York Silver Futures Market.
**Average stook decline taken from Standard and Poor 500 February 15,
through February 15, 1974.
Send your information packet about silver and why it's time to
get serious about it as a hedge against projected economic
crises.
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