Party leaders struggled frantically today to have their lists ready for submission tomorrow, the deadline for naming the candidates for the August 15 elections to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.
Troubles of the leaders revolved around pacification of those whose names were not included in the “safe place,” in the lists. This is the area at the top of the lists. Under the Israeli election system, voters cast ballots for lists and not for candidates, with Knesset representation distributed on a proportional representation basis. The higher the name of a candidate on a winning party list, the better his chances of his getting a Knesset seat.
The principal subject of a weekend of party rallies and meetings was attacks on rival parties. Only speakers of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s Mapai party dealt with other subjects, mainly the security problem with special reference to the spate of Syrian border shooting last week in northern Israel.
The Mapai orators contended that Israel must have a stable regime, led by Mapai, so that its security will not be shaken. Israel has been led by a caretaker Government since Premier Ben-Gurion resigned last January 31 and was unable to form a new Government by negotiation.
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.
