Knesset Censures Government for Using Emergency Defense Laws; Orders New Legislation

The Israel Parliament last night voted to censure the government for invoking the emergency defense regulations to smash the religious underground movement Brit Kanaim and to imprison, without the benefit of legal assistance and without the right of habeas corpus, a number of the leaders of the movement on charges of plotting to blow up the Parliament building.

The Parliament also voted to instruct its legal committee to prepare within two weeks legislation to replace the emergency defense regulations. The vote on the first part of the motion–which was put forth by an unprecedented coalition of the Mapam, Heruth, Religious Bloc, Communists and General Zionists–was 53 to one. The 48 members of the Mapai and the Progressive Party abstained. The vote on the second part of the motion was 58 to 12 with the Mapai supporting the request for now security legislation.

A debate on whether the Parliament could nullify the orders detaining the Brit Kanaim members under the emergency defense regulations was postponed until next week. In the meantime, the police were busy today preparing an indictment against four of the arrested members of the underground organization. The indictment contains ten charges, the most important of which is ” an attempt to sabotage the Parliament building” and conspiracy against the state.

SHARETT PROMISES EARLY TRIAL OF ZEALOTS IMPLICATED IN BOMBING PLOT

Throughout the debate last night, Acting Premier Moshe Sharett fought hard for additional time for the government to conclude its investigation of the underground movement and to prepare legislation to replace the emergency defense measures, thus removing the government from an uneasy position. Itzhak Bar Yehuda, Mapam deputy, speaking for the majority, said that the majority voted for the motion in order to halt the government’s further use of the emergency legislation.

Earlier, every member of the Cabinet spoke on the resolution and the police raids and arrests which provoked the situation. Religious Bloc leader Rabbi I. M. Lewin. Minister of Social Welfare, criticized Mr. Sharett, charging that he had ordered the use of the emergency defense regulations without consulting other members of the Cabinet. Denouncing zealots for actions endangering the state, Rabbi Lewin made an impassioned plea to the government to bring to trial immediately all these against whom charges can be preferred and to release all other suspects.

Acting Premier Sharett promised on early trial for some of the defendants. He also assured the House that some of the detained underground members would be released, while new arrests would continue to be made. These suspects against whom definite evidence does not exist, but whom the police suspect are implicated in the plot and whom they continue to detain, will have access to a specials appeals committee, he promised.