Burg’s Effort to Win Back Defectors from Nrp Evokes Angry Reactions

Efforts by Interior Minister Yosef Burg to bring MK Hanan Porat and other defectors back to the National Religious Party fold has triggered angry reactions from the Tehiya Party of which Porat is presently a member and from the “young guard” of the NRP.

Burg and Avraham Me lamed of the NRP’s Lamifine faction reportedly held secret discussions with Porat and with members of the new Matzad group, headed by NRP defector Haim Druckman, at Ofra on the West Bank last Tuesday. Further meetings were held later in the week and an agreement reportedly was near.

Porat’s colleagues in Tehiya expressed outrage when reports of these meetings were published over the weekend. Burg accused “persons anxious to torpedo” his efforts to revitalize the flagging NRP of leaking the reports. He was apparently referring to members of the “young guard” who were left out of the secret talks and fear they would be overwhelmed if rightwingers such as Porat and Druckman return to the NRP.

Porat told reporters that he had informed his Tehiya colleagues, Science Minister Yuval Neeman and MK Geula Cohen, that he was negotiating with Burg. Cohen disputed this. Porat also promised that if he returned to the NRP he would relinquish his Tehiya seat in the Knesset.

EFFORT INDICATES URGENCY

The episode indicated the urgency with which Burg, now 74, is trying to revive the NRP before the next Knesset elections. The party lost half of its 12 Knesset seats in the 1981 elections and its mandates were reduced to five when Druckman walked out last year.

Burg, a moderate, appears willing to negotiate with hardliners like Druckman and Porat if he can leave his party in a stronger condition when he retires. He is also reportedly in contact with the Tami Party whose leader, Aharon Abu-Hatzeira, and others once belonged to the NRP.