The new Israeli Government, headed by David Ben Gurion and including the Mapai, Religious Bloc and the Progressives, today received 73-45 vote of confidence in the Knesseth. This evening the Assembly adjourned until next week.
The vote was preceded by a two-hour address by Premier David Ben Gurion in the course of which he severely lashed out at his opponents. He was frequently interrupted by spokesmen for the Mapam, the Irgun-sponsored Heruth and the General Zionists.
Because of the harsh tones of the Premier’s address, it is believed here that the breach between the Mapai and the Mapam has broadened and that the latter will definitely not enter the coalition. Before Ben Gurion rose to speak, Mapai and Mapam deputies hurled accusations and counter-accusations at one another. The main point of these charges was that the position of the other party is preventing complete labor unity in the government.
Addressing himself to the right-wing Heruth, Ben Gurion declared that Jerusalem was an integral part of Israel, although this fact has not yet been recognized internationally. To the Mapam he said that he refused to reorient the foreign policy of his government and, defending the Egyptian-Israeli pact, he said that it had brought many benefits to the Jewish state. Maintaining his refusal to give the General Zionists two seats in the Cabinet, he recalled that he had always defended the rights of private capital and enterprises in the upbuilding of the country.
Echoing the words of an Arab member of the Knesseth, the Premier expressed hopes for friendly cooperation between Jew and Arab. He reiterated earlier promises to raise the standard of living for the Arabs and to guarantee them full equality with the Jews.
After the vote of confidence, Zalman Shazar, chairman of the Knesseth’s standing committee, proposed that a 20-man sub-committee be established to study the terms of the $100,000,000 American loan. This motion was carried unanimously.
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