Political observers here, analyzing last week’s elections, said today they expect no major changes in British Government policy affecting Britain’s 450, 000 Jews or British-Israel relations as a result of the transfer of power to a Labor Government.
All of the Jewish members of Parliament were returned in the balloting, which showed in final tabulations today that Jews would occupy 24 of the 630 seats in the House of Commons–two Conservatives and 22 Laborites.
The possibility was seen here today that, when Prime Minister Harold Wilson completes his final list of Ministers outside the Cabinet, he would name Sir Solly Zuckerman as the new Minister for Disarmament. Sir Solly, 60, on leave from his post as professor of anatomy at Birmingham University, had been, under the Conservatives, the chief Government adviser on defense and strategy. Because his sympathies are known to be with the Labor Party, he has never been given a post at the top of the Conservative Government, although the Tories have sought his advice and knowledge. Sir Solly is closely connected with the Weizmann Institute of Science, at Rehovoth, both on the level of scientific cooperation and as an ardent supporter.
Fenner Brockway, the Laborite MP who spearheaded previous unsuccessful attempts to adopt legislation against racial incitement, lost his seat in Parliament. But the new Labor Government is committed to support such legislation. A number of individual Conservatives had favored anti-racist legislation, but not the party as a whole.
Many of the leaders of the new Labor Government have, on various occasions professed friendship toward Israel, but the party has not advocated a Middle East policy significantly different from that of the Conservatives, favoring elimination of an arms race in the area and the preservation of the status quo.
ISRAEL LEADERS GREET GOVERNMENT; JEWISH MP’S LISTED
(In Jerusalem, Israel’s Premier, Levi Eshkol, cabled his Government’s congratulations to Prime Minister Wilson in a message recalling “with great pleasure your visit to Israel. Am looking forward to a continuation and further strengthening of the friendly bonds so happily existing between our countries, ” Mr. Eshkol voiced. Israel Foreign Minister Golda Meir cabled a congratulatory message to Patrick Gordon Walker, Britain’s Foreign Secretary.)
Prime Minister Wilson’s new Cabinet includes two of the most ardent friends of Israel among Britain’s non-Jews. They are Anthony Greenwood, who was named Colonial Secretary; and Richard Crossman, the new Minister of Housing. Many other Labor Party leaders are pro-Israel, and have maintained close relations with leaders of the Histadrut, the Israel labor federation.
The two Jewish Conservative MP’s who were returned to Parliament are Sir Keith Joseph, who was Housing Minister in the outgoing Cabinet; and Sir Henry d’Avigdor Goldsmid, president of the Jewish Colonization Association.
The Jewish MP’s on the Government side of the new House include Emanuel Shinwell, a former Defense Minister; Sydney Silverman, former chairman of the British Section, World Jewish Congress; David Witzman, active Youth Aliyah leader; Maurice Edelman, president of the Anglo-Jewish Association; Sir Barnett Janner, former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews; Sir Meyer Alpern; Ian Mikardo; Maurice Crbach; Julius Silverman; and David Guinsberg.
Also elected as Labor MP’s were Harold and Leslie Lever; Sam and John Silkin; Col. Marcus Lipton; George Strauss, former Transport Minister; Barnett Stross, chairman of the British OSE; Mrs. Lena Jeger; George Jeger; John Diamond; Harry Solomons and Leo Abse.
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.
