Rabin Tries To
Ensure Survival

Jerusalem (JTA) — Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin held
meetings with party leaders
last weekend in an attempt
to ensure his Labor-led coali-
tion government survives a
no-confidence vote Monday
over controversial remarks
on religion by his education
minister, Shulamit Aloni.
A combination of political
horse-trading and face-
saving statements appeared
set to preserve coalition
membership of the haredi
(fervently Orthodox) Shas
party in the face of pressure
to resign over statements
made by Ms. Aloni.
The crisis erupted some
weeks ago after Ms. Aloni,
who heads the left-wing
Meretz bloc, made
statements disparaging a
literal reading of the biblical
account of creation and pro-
posing that the name of God
be omitted from a prayer for
the dead.
The statements offended
Orthodox circles and were
criticized in Labor Party
circles, too, as needlessly
offensive.
Shas originally demanded
Ms. Aloni's removal from
the sensitive Education Min-
istry. But the Sephardic
haredi party subsequently
softened its stance. Eleven-
th-hour negotiations
centered on the scope of au-
thority to be vested in the
Shas deputy minister of edu-
cation, Rabbi Moshe Maiya.
The Shas Council of Torah
Sages convened last
weekend to consider a pro-
posal by Meretz under which
Maiya would be involved in
formulating the Jewish
heritage curricula in non-
Orthodox state schools but
would not be in sole charge
of this sensitive area
Without directly up-
braiding Ms. Aloni, the
prime minister will call for
greater sensitivity between
coalition partners and
pledge to use his
"constitutional powers" in
the event of any future
upsets of this kind. The
language is seen as a vague
reference to the premier's
power to fire a minister.
For her part, Ms. Aloni
will follow up by reiterating
regret if statements she
made offended religious sen-
sibilities.
Mr. Rabin met with
Interior Minister Arye Deri,
who heads Shas, in an at-
tempt to resolve the crisis.
Health Minister Haim
Ramon of Labor served as
intermediary.

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