Govt Split In Israel

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32036, 10 July 1969, Page 17

Govt Split In Israel

IN.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) TEL AVIV, July 8. The future unity of Israel’s ruling Labour Party was in jeopardy today after a meeting organised by supporters of the Defence Minister (General Moshe Dayan) and a walk-out by the Prime Minister (Mrs Golda Meir).

The meeting was organised by the party’s Rafi faction ex-mem-bers of the Rafi breakaway splinter group formed by Mr David Ben-Gurion after he resigned as Prime Minister in 1963.

The Rafi faction—represented in the Cabinet by General Dayan—called the meeting to consider whether they should remain within Israel’s united Labour Party. No decision was taken last night and the matter has been deferred to a later date. But today, leaders of the Labour Party criticised General Dayan's supporters and accused them of trying to cause a split In a statement the party leaders said conveners of the meeting and those attending it had by their behaviour contributed to a possible split. It was a reference to a heckling of Mrs Meir during a speech in which she called for unity. “We were bom to live together,” she said. But Mrs Meir later walked out when a speaker reminded her that just before the six-

day war of June, 1967, she had opposed General Dayan’s appointment as Defence Minister. The Rafi group joined Mr Levi Eshkol’s Mapai party to form a coalition with the Ahdut Ha’ Avoda group in January, 1968, after months of debate. Their aim was to strengthen Labour’s position after the war with Arab States. The merger consolidated Labour in Israel, but it also gave the Israeli war hero, General Dayan, more prominence in the political field. He was at one time considered a strong contender to succeed Mr Eshkol on retirement—but it was Mrs G. Meir, former secretary of the Mapai Party and Foreign Minister, who took over as Prime Minister soon after his death last February.