Herut Blasts Government Policies

The government’s economic, domestic and foreign policies were blasted by speakers in the second day of Herut’s 12th national convention at Jabotinsky House here. Dr. Yohanan Bader, a veteran MK and Herut’s economic spokesman, claimed that the government’s economic program, launched last November with the devaluation of the Pound, was doomed to failure and would have to be replaced with a new economic plan within a few months.

Other speakers warned of mass unemployment that would demoralize the nation. Dr. Elbad Israel, a former member of Lehi Litern Group) who topped the “wanted list” during the British Mandatory regime, charged that the Zionist vision was “twisted and distorted” by those governing Israel today. “Tactics have become practice and we are off the track,” Israel said.

There was an emotional call for a national unity coalition from a Druze member of Herut–Moussa Assad whose brother was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Rehaniyeh village two months ago.

RABIN SCORES BEIGIN’S PROPOSAL

Premier Yitzhak Rabin did not remain silent under Herut attacks. Addressing a delegation of the Israeli Students Union which supports a national unity government, Rabin said a partnership with Likud, of which Herut is one of the major constituents, would “totally isolate Israel.” He charged that Likud’s policy opposed the road to peace and said he would bring up its participation in the government in Labor Party circles only if it agreed in advance to accept the government’s basic guidelines on foreign policy.

Rabin heaped scorn on Herut leader Menachem Beigin’s proposed three-year armistice in the Middle East during which Israel would negotiate a settlement directly with its Arab neighbors. Rabin termed the plan, unveiled by Belgin at the opening of the Herut convention, as “an unrealistic dream.” He said no American statesman would give “a nickel” for Belgin’s proposal and not a single U.S. Senator would be ready to discuss a Middle East settlement on the basis of the Beigin plan.