Defense Minister Moshe Arens has taken no action to outlaw the Jewish-Arab Progressive List for Peace which hopes to participate in the July 23 Knesset elections, even though he believes it to be subversive.
According to Muhammed Miali, the Arab lawyer who heads the list, the party’s platform calls for an indepedent Arab state to exist alongside of Israel, the latter reduced to its pre-June, 1967 borders. A Defense Ministry communique said Arens was convinced that there were subversive elements in the joint Arab-Jewish list and that key persons on the list have conducted themselves in a way that identifies with enemies of the State.
The No. 2 spot on the list is held by Gen. (res.) Matityahu Peled who has long been involved in anti-war movements and has met, outsied Israel, with Palestinians associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Progressive list is a combination of Israeli Arab nationalists and Jews of a leftist political orientation.
The Defense Minister is permitted, under the law, to ban any political faction he deems to be a threat to national security. But Arens, on his return from a visit to Washington last week, decided not to take any action while the Central Elections Committee is considering the application by the Progressives to appear on the ballot.
CABINET DID NOT DISCUSS ISSUE
The issue did not arise at today’s Cabinet session, as it had been expected to do. Arens did not discuss his decision not to ban the new faction and Science Minister Yuval Neeman, of the ultranationalist rightwing Tehiya party did not demand to know why.
Arens briefed the Cabinet on his talks with Secretary of State George Shultz and Defense Secrettary Caspar Weinberger. He said there was a basic understanding between Israel and the U.S. that Israel could not withdraw its forces from south Lebanon until there were iron clad security guarantees. He also discussed strategic cooperation between Israel and the U.S.
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