David Ben-Gurion has withdrawn his membership from a committee to translate world classics into Hebrew as a by-product of his battle against Pinhas Lavon, it was disclosed today.
Professor Hugo Bergman, chairman of the committee, said that the reason for the withdrawal appeared to be the attitude of Professor Martin Buber, a former president of the committee, in the dispute. Prof. Buber was one of the signatories of a manifesto signed by a group of Israel intellectuals warning that the methods of Mr. Ben-Gurion’s supporters in the fight against Mr. Lavon, the Histadrut secretary-general, constituted a danger to Israel’s democracy.
Professor Bergman said he hoped that the resignation was not final because he felt there was no connection between membership on the committee and political affairs. Prof. Buber also indicated he could see no such relationship and pointed out that the committee was made up of individuals holding diverse views on the Lavon affair.
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