Premier Menachem Begin said publicly today that he supports the candidacy of Interior Minister Yosef Burg to be Israel’s next President, succeeding Yitzhak Navon who will retire when his term expires next month.
Begin came out for Burg, a leader of the National Religious Party, at a meeting of the Likud coalition partners. But Burg is not expected to be nominated officially by the coalition until it is clear that his election by the Knesset is assured. The Knesset will choose Israel’s next President on March 22.
Burg himself has said he would not run unless he was certain of support from both the coalition and the opposition. Energy Minister Yitzhak Modai observed today that “the coalition could not face the shame of losing the vote” in the Knesset which is by secret ballot. The Labor Alignment is known to favor Chaim Herzog, former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, as its candidate. But it has not ruled out Burg.
Some observers believe Labor may support Burg in order to avoid a Likud candidate and possibly to woo the NRP out of the Likud-led coalition to renew its “historic alliance” with Labor. Until shortly before the 1977 elections, the NRP had been a coalition partner in virtually all Labor-led governments.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
