Gen. Ezer Weizman, former commander of the Israel Air Force, bevelled a blistering attack on the leadership of Premier Yitzhak Rabin here this week. In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, after announcing that he would return to an active role in Israeli politics. Weizman, a member of the Central Committee of Herut, described Israel’s present leadership as “gray, divided and uncharismatic.” He said that Rabin dissipated the personal and political credit he enjoyed when he took office two years ago. The Premier “made a big fortune in to a small one.” Weizman declared.
His remarks were sharply attacked by Zvi Reisman, co-chairman of the British Poale Zion who charged that “such reckless statements can only undermine the Israeli position in the international arena and greatly harm the Zionist struggle to put across the Israeli case.” Reisman also attacked Weizman for “breaking the code that citizens travelling abroad should not criticize their own country.”
Weizman is currently on a speaking tour as the guest of the British Zionist Federation. The Federation has not commented on his statements made to the JTA but senior Zionist officials who do not share Weizman’s views have privately expressed embarrassment. However, the Federation-sponsored periodical “Jewish Observer and Middle East Review,” is scheduled to publish an interview with Weizman in which the latter attacks the “midgets” who rule Israel today and calls for new elections.
WILL SEEK OFFICE IN NEXT ELECTIONS
The former air force commander told the JTA that the weakness of Israel’s Labor Party was exposed when it summoned 77-year-old Golda Meir out of retirement to participate in its new leadership forum. “I take my hat off to Mrs. Meir but not to those who asked her back,” Weizman said.
He charged that the “lack of unity among senior ministers (in the Rabin government) made things seem worse than they were.” He said there was much to be desired in Israel’s relations with the United States and that Israel’s current economic policy of “creeping devaluation” of the Pound was deplorable. However, Israel’s military situation is “not all that bad,” Weizman said.
Weizman, who served briefly as Transport Minister in the wall-to-wall coalition government formed by Premier Meir after the Six-Day War, told the JTA that new elections would be held in Israel within the next 18 months and indicated that he would seek office on the Herut slate although he had once contemplated forming a new political faction of his own. Weizman said he would press Herut for a “definite program” and would support the creation of “a shadow cabinet” in Israel. Herut, a constituent of the Likud opposition, is headed by Menachem Beigin, who decisively defeated Weizman in a struggle for party leadership several years ago.
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.
