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Mapai Abstains from May Day Demonstrations; Leftists March Today

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The celebration of May Day began throughout Israel tonight when Socialists, Communists and various labor organizations raised the national colors and red flags over their buildings and draped the colors from their windows.

The left-wing Mapam and the Communist Parties will hold separate demonstrations in various parts of the country tomorrow. The Mapai, Israel’s Labor Party, will not participate in street demonstrations. In this city, the Histadrut, Israel’s Federation of Labor, scheduled a large rally in Tel Aviv Stadium.

Both Communist and Mapam leaders have declared that when their processions in this city are over, they will end up at the Tel Aviv Stadium. Mapai leaders have warned the leftists against interfering with the rally in the stadium, stating that all workers are welcome if there is room inside.

In reply, the Mapam Party executive has accused the Mapai majority of planning to exclude their partisans from the rally in the stadium, and have insisted they will come no matter what the Mapai says. Meanwhile, Mapai leaders have met with Communist officials to warn them against carrying “foreign” slogans–which have not been approved by the Histadrut executive–in the parade. Two years ago such slogans were the occasion for clashes between Mapai and Mapam members.

No morning newspapers will appear in Israel tomorrow. The regular Sabbath supplements which normally appear in the Friday editions were published today.

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