Former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion demanded here in the Knesset (Parliament) today that Premier Levi Eshkol explain charges he had allegedly made to the effect that “things were not in order” under the Ben-Gurion leadership of the Government.
Mr. Eshkol had been reported earlier to have made such a remark at a meeting of the Mapai Party’s Secretariat. Later, Mr. Eshkol had said he had been “misquoted” and his statement did not concern Ben-Gurion.
Today, Mr. Ben-Gurion, who is a member of the Knesset, and who has announced formation of an “Israel Workers List” to oppose Mapai in the next general elections, took the parliament rostrum to challenge Mr. Eshkol’s denial. Stating that he has now read a stenographic report on the proceedings at the Mapai Secretariat, where Mr. Eshkol had presumably made the remark, he said the Premier’s reply is “inconsistent with the record.” He demanded that Mr. Eshkol “explain all to the nation.” “Let him not pose as protecting our honor,” said Mr. Ben-Gurion, “when he defames the man who was Premier for 15 years.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
