Meir Wilner, an original signer of Israel’s Declaration of Independence and a veteran leader of the Israeli Communist party who has served in every Knesset since the first, resigned from parliament Monday to make room for younger blood.
Wilner, 70, will be replaced Wednesday by Hashem Mahamid, former mayor of the Arab town of Umm el-Fahm, in accordance with an agreement reached several weeks ago by the Communist-controlled leftist bloc known as the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, or Hadash.
Under pressure from younger elements, its four-man Knesset faction was to be replaced.
But while Wilner and his two Arab colleagues, Tawfik Toubi and Tawfik Zayyad, agreed to step down, former Black Panther Charlie Biton balked.
Biton has said that if ousted from Hadash, he would remain in Knesset as an independent member.
Wilner was born in Poland and is a journalist by profession. He served for many years as the Communist party’s secretary-general.
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