Mrs Meir finds a Cabinet

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33479, 9 March 1974, Page 14

Mrs Meir finds a Cabinet

The Israeli Prime Minister (Mrs Meir) has demonstrated through difficult years of leadership that she does not lack courage, patience, or intelligence. Her decision, under heavy pressure from her colleagues, to make one more attempt to bring together the warring factions of her dismembered coalition was wholly in character. Although she has been able at last to make a list of Ministers which has the support of her party, the most depressing feature of the situation in Israel has been the internal disunity while a political settlement with the Arab world awaits solution. The Labour Party that Mrs Meir leads has never been in such disarray. Two months ago, a General Election gave Labour only 51 seats in the 120-member Parliament. Mrs Meir tried to bring about a reconciliation with the National Religious Party, which has 10 seats—just sufficient to secure a coalition Government Last month the Religious Party, on instructions from Israel s chief rabbis, decided not to revive the former coalition with the Labour Party. Their attitude might yet be revised, but Mrs Meir has now formed a Government without the Religious Party’s assistance. Mrs Meir said last month that she would reserve three Cabinet posts for National Religious members, in the hope that the party would continue to co-operate. She might still be prepared to make good the offer.

In spite of the strong vote within the Labour Tarty in favour of Mrs Meir's leadership, the party is still divided by a rift dating back to the early period when the late David Ben-Gurion defected from Labour, then known as Mapai. and formed the group now known as Rafi. On the eve of the 1967 war with Egypt the Rafi leader. General Dayan, joined the Government with some of his supporters. The remainder became a wing of the Opposition group. Likud, which leans to the Right and is pledged to destroy any new coalition based on Labour. General Dayan has said often enough that he will not take part in any minority Government, and he prefers a Government of “ national unity ’’ in which Likud could be represented. Likud has 39 seats, and has been biding its time, waiting for the Labour Party to collapse through its own dissensions. Since General Dayan has now conceded to join Mrs Meir’s new Cabinet it may be guessed that she is not unalterably opposed to a “ national unity ” Government if, eventually, it can be contrived. Such a shuffle of allegiances may be the only way for Israel to obtain a stable and strong Government if the Religious Party continues to insist on its independent line.