Begin appears likely to call early election

Press, 21 May 1982, Page 6

Begin appears likely to call early election

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem

Israel appeared yesterday to be heading for an early General Election, perhaps by the end of this year, as Government and Opposition leaders studied the implications of a no-confidence vote in the Knesset (Parliament). Menachem Begin’s Likudled coalition survived, defeating a Labour-inspired no-confidence motion by 58 to 57 in the 120-member House. But the defection of two coalition members to Labour has left Mr Begin’s grasp on power dependent on two small splinter parties, Techiya and Telem, which saved the Government yesterday by abstaining. Techiya, an ultra-national-ist group supported by the

extremist Gush Emunim (Faith Bloc), want Israel to annex the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Telem, formed by the late Foreign Minister, Moshe Dayan, is being actively wooed by Labour,, which yesterday suggested a change in its official policy line to support Telem’s demand for the introduction of immediate and wide-ranging autonomy for the Palestinians in the occupied areas. Likud leaders are confident they would greatly increase their majority in another election, and admitted that their present fragile lead was creating an impossible situation. It was making them increasingly subject to pressure from small factions seeking ever larger

political concessions for their uncertain support. The main (joalition partners, such as' the National Religious Party, are not keen on a new election at this time, after being seriously reduced in strength by internal splits. The Labour Oppostion emerged from yesterday’s parliamentary battle deeply troubled by strong criticism that the party leader, Shimon Peres, had engineered the defection of the two Likud members who supported the no-confidence motion.

Mapam, the Left-wing partner in the Labour alignment, strongly attacked the manoeuvre as immoral and threatened to dismantle the Labour bloc.