Cabinet Votes 8-6 to Set Up Religious Institutions in Two Houses in Hebron

A sharply divided Cabinet voted 8-6 with three abstentions today to establish religious institutions in two Jewish-owned buildings in the heart of the West Bank Arab town of Hebron. The decision, which had been pending for more than a month and repeatedly postponed by the Cabinet, was taken at the urging of Premier Menachem Begin who argued that it was delayed long enough.

Begin rejected appeals by some of his colleagues to hold off until after his meeting with President Carter in Washington in mid-April. His insistence was seen as a deliberate rebuff to the U.S. for having supported the Security Council’s March 1 resolution calling for the dismantling of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. Carter subsequently disavowed the American vote.

The narrow majority in today’s voting, which come after four hours of debate, reflected the growing rift over the Hebron issue between Begin’s Herut Party and its coalition partners. Before today’s session began, Deputy Premier Yigael Yodin of the Democratic Movement served notice on Begin that he would appeal against any decision to move Jews into Hebron to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee.

LINEUP OF CABINET MINISTERS

Deputy Premier Simcha Ehrlich, leader of Likud’s Liberal Party wing, appeared the decision and said he would have to “reconsider” remaining in the Cabinet. The National Religious Party also indicated serious reservations. Education Minister Zevulun Hammer supported the decision but said he did so reluctantly.

Religious Affairs Minister Aharon Abu-Hatzeiro called it a “bad decision” and abstained. Interior Minister Yosef Burg, who heads the Israeli negotiating team in the autonomy talks, did not attend the Cabinet meeting because he was to greet U.S. special Ambassador Sol Linowitz at Ben Gurion Airport.

All Herut ministers voted for the move except Defense Minister Ezer Weizman who cast a negative vote. The usually outspoken Weizman had no comment, saying he did not want his remarks to the Cabinet leaked to the press. Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir voted affirmatively but without comment.

The decision was hotly defended by Housing Minister David Levy of Herut and sharply denounced by Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir of the DM. Levy stressed that the Cabinet had voted unanimously last month — with one abstention, by Yodin — to declare in principle that Jews have a right to live in Hebron. Today’s decision, he said, was simply implementing the earlier one. “Herut’s representatives are in the government in order to implement the party’s platform,” Levy said.

Tamir warned that today’s decision will lead to international complications. “This will not contribute anything to security, it has no political value and it does not strengthen the State of Israel,” he said. “It could have been the right step had it been taken immediately in 1967 (when Israel conquered the West Bank) but now the timing is wrong,” Tamir asserted.

DECISION FALLS SHORT OF DEMANDS

Today’s Cabinet decision falls short of meeting the demands of nationalist and religious militants who have demanded that Jewish families be settled in Hebron immediately, in buildings that were abandoned by Jews who fled that town during the Arab uprising in 1929.

Only two buildings are involved, the old Hadassah building which has been occupied for the past few months by women from the Gush Errunim stronghold of Kiryat Arab adjacent to Hebron, and the Abraham Avinu Synagogue. Both are close to the Patriarchs Tomb, a shrine holy to-Moslems and Jews.

According to the plan drafted by Levy, the Hadassah building will be occupied by a school devoted to Jewish studies and the synagogue and surrounding area will become a branch of the Header Yeshiva of Kiryat Arab whose students combine religious studies with military training. Both buildings will be renovated and expanded to provide housing for students and staff. According to the new plan, this work will be extended to adjacent buildings. The entire project is estimated to cost it 100 million.