The Press MONDAY, JULY 20, 1959. An Israeli Crisis

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28951, 20 July 1959, Page 10

The Press MONDAY, JULY 20, 1959. An Israeli Crisis

Mr Ben-Gurion is unlikely to be relegated to the political wilderness by the present crisis in Israel. A similar crisis has occurred at least once every summer since the State of Israel was reborn 10 years ago. Some of the crises have been much more serious; but Mr BenGurion has remained, seemingly indestructible, at the hub of Israeli affairs. Anything to do with Germany stirs up violent passions in Israel. Last month it was reported that a Haifa factory had contracted to supply the West German Army with 250,000 grenade-firers. Mr Ben-Gurion’s critics interpreted his approval of the contract as condoning German militarism, and accused his Government of betraying the memory of the Jews slaughtered by the Nazis. Mr Ben-Gurion managed to persuade the Knesset (Parliament) to allow the deal to go through, but only at the cost of a revolt in his coalition Cabinet. Four Left-wing Ministers resigned, and the Government collapsed. . Now, with elections scheduled for November, it seems probable that Mr BenGurion and his remaining Cabinet colleagues will continue as caretakers in the interim. In spite of Mr Ben-Gurion’s personal popularity, his party, the Mapai, has only 40 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. His former coalition .included the Progressive Party (five seats), the Ahdut Avodah (10 seats), and the Mapam (nine seats). Israeli law permits a government to continue in office after it has lost its Parliamentary majority.

Ordinary trade with Germany is not an issue; indeed, the Federal Republic has become one of Israel’s best customers. But the Israeli national conscience is sensitive to anything that recalls the German persecution. In December, 1957, the Ahdut Avodah (which, with the Mapam, has now seceded from the coalition) criticised Mr Ben-Gurion for sending the

Director-General of the Defence Ministry to Germany to arrange for the purchase of arms. Mr Ben-Gurion resigned as Prime Minister, but soon returned with the same coalition partners. In January, 1952, the question of German reparations caused a particularly difficult crisis, with rioting outside the Knesset. Mr Ben-Gurion’s prestige then sufficed to procure the acceptance of payments which, subsequently, have proved vitally important to Israel’s development. On yet another occasion the Prime Minister secured the Knesset’s acquiescence to the United Nations’ demand for the evacuation of Sinai. Because of the approach of the November elections, pressure on the Government this year has been unusually strong. In May tension rose over a compulsory loan for immigrants; and there was trouble in mid-June about the apportionment of credit for the Sinai campaign. Mr Ben-Gurion, who is 72, has always accepted coalitions as a regrettable necessity. He is confronted now with the emotional scruples of some of his former Cabinet colleagues (whom he accuses of flouting an agreement to abide by majority decisions within the Cabinet), as well tas the combined bitterness of his opponents on the extreme Left and Right. One of his principal adversaries is Mr Beigin, leader of the nationalist Herut Party, who was prominent in the reparations controversy;. The Herut Party four years, ago became the second strongest group in the Knesset. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of Mr Ben-Gurion’s trials is that Israel’s Arab neighbours can take no comfort from them. Towards the Arab world the Israelis still present an uncompromisingly united front Everywhere, too, Mr BenGurion continues to symbolise the achievements of resurgent Zionism.