Dayan As Editor

Former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan has confirmed that he accepted a proposal to be the editor of a new morning newspaper but refused to reveal the names of the investors, reportedly a group of Americans and Israelis. According to Maariv, the American investors are being represented by Ami Brown and the Israelis by Moshe Wertheimer and Chagal Bar-Kochba.

Dayan said he will continue to serve in the Knesset, dividing his time between the newspaper and the Parliament. He said the newspaper, which is to be a tabloid, will be a Zionist newspaper and will not be affiliated with any political party. But, he added, “it will most certainly reflect my views.”

In another development in Israel’s newspapers, the Jerusalem Post announced the names of its two new editors, Ari Rath, 50, and Erwin Frenkel, 42. The two replaced Mrs. Lea Ben Dor who served as editor since the death of Ted Lurie in 1974. Rath, who was born in Vienna, joined the Post in 1958 as political and diplomatic correspondent, became news editor in 1962 and managing editor in 1970. He was the shaliach from Israel for Habonim in the United States in 1946 and later studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Frenkel was born in Germany but his family left that country when he was four years old. He settled in Israel in 1960 and joined the Post in 1961. He later served as editorial writer, feature editor and Washington correspondent. He became assistant editor in 1972.

Meanwhile, Alter Welner, 50, has been appointed editor and director of the Israeli news agency “ITIM.” For the past several years he served as chairman of the board of ITIM. He was also direc tor of the National Religious Party daily, Hatzofeh until his new appointment last month when he replaced Haim Baltzan who is retiring.