As the legal deadline was reached tonight for the filing of the party election lists for next November’s balloting for Knesset (Parliament) membership, surprise was occasioned by the strong bid by the General Zionist Party for the votes of the Oriental Jews in Israel.
The General Zionists nominated Moshe Nissim, 24-year-old son of Sephardic Chief Rabbi Itzhak Nissim, giving young Nissim seventh place on the party’s list. Since the General Zionist Party had 13 seats in the last Knesset, this was considered a safe place, practically assuring the election of young Nissim.
The only other election list that seemed unusual was the one filed by the “Community Party, ” a group consisting of North African immigrants in Haifa and Jerusalem. This group filed a list headed by David Ben Haroush, self-proclaimed leader of the North African immigrants, who is still under arrest, charged with leading the recent riots by North African immigrants in Haifa.
The dominant Mapai Party led its list, as usual, with the name of David Ben Gurion, the Prime Minister, giving second place–also traditionally–to former Premier and ex-Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett. Abba Eban, former Ambassador to the United States, was also given a “safe” place, being ranked No. 12 on the Mapai list of 120 candidates.
The Progressive Party headed its list with the name of Dr. Pinhas Rosen, Minister of Justice, giving second place to Moshe Kol, head of the youth immigration department of the Jewish Agency. Achdut Avodah was as yet undecided late this afternoon as to whether to head its list with Brig. Gen. Yigal Allon, hero of Israel’s War of Liberation, or with Israel Bar Yehuda, Minister of the Interior.
The Communist Party was first to file its complete list, leading with the names of two of its Knesset members, Shmuel Mikunis and Esther Vilenska.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
