Gahal’s Return to Coalition Ruled Out; Defeated in Move to Debate Mideast Moves

The return of Gahal to the coalition government was ruled out today by Premier Golda Meir. Replying to questions from students at the Haifa Technion she said if Gahal were to return it would require negotiation of a new government policy and the establishment of a new coalition. She said that this was not the time for such negotiations and that, moreover, the situation has not changed since Gahal decided to break with the coalition. In any event, Mrs. Meir added, Gahal has made no approaches for a return. Gahal chairman Menachem Beigin said last week that his party would be willing to consider conditions that might be offered by the government for rejoining the coalition. But he emphatically denied that he was hinting that Gahal wanted to return.

Gahal suffered a defeat in the Knesset today when a motion to debate recent moves on the Middle East was removed from the agenda by a 40-25 vote. The motion, introduced by Herut MK Haim Landau, demanded a debate on recent statements by President Nixon, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and UN Secretary General U Thant. Landau demanded that the government openly reject Nixon’s view that any border changes must be “insubstantial” and urged the coalition to join with the opposition parties to launch a major propaganda campaign in the U.S. with a view to changing Washington’s position on boundaries.