Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared today that the coming summer months will be a crucial period for Israel, militarily and politically, and urged the nation to be prepared for all contingencies. Addressing a meeting at Kibbutz Merhavya, Gen. Dayan said that events this summer would show to what extent President Nasser was prepared to commit himself to all-out war “to try to push us out.”
He said Israel must make the best use of the time to prepare for new, critical tests. He called for increased arms production, greater efforts to stamp out territorism, and the establishment of patterns of living together with the inhabitants of the occupied territories. Gen. Dayan said Israel should begin building new settlements in areas which it does not intend to give up.
In a political development, Gen. Dayan had a reportedly stormy meeting yesterday with the Labor Party leadership, including Premier Golda Meir and Pinhas Sapir, Labor Party secretary-general. At one point he stalked out of the room in anger. He later had a private meeting with Mrs. Meir with only Minister of Information Israel Galile present. The leadership has been disturbed by Gen. Dayan’s hints that he might leave the party and enter next October’s elections on a separate list. They are also reportedly disturbed by his frank public statements and a grassroots drive for signatures on a petition calling for his accession to the Premiership.
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