Efforts Being Made to Cement Cracks in Labor Party Edifice

Intensive behind-the-scenes efforts are being made to seal the widening cracks in the Labor Party edifice that threaten Israel’s largest political party with a possible break-down into its three original constituent factions. Although the Labor Party’s internal rifts are nothing new, they have been overshadowed by such recent events as Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s visit and the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress which was concerned with unity between Israel and diaspora Jewry.

Now attention has been shifted to the quarreling between Mapai, Achdut Ha’avoda and Rafi, some of whose adherents seem ready to dismember the Labor Party if they can’t dominate, Premier Yitzhak Rabin, leader of the united Labor Alignment, has been able to devote little time to internal politics. But his ultimate involvement is considered inevitable.

Meanwhile, attempts are being made to establish dialogues between the rival factions in Labor to avert a split. One such forum was vetoed by former Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir who, though presently chairman of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization Executives, still wields formidable power within the Labor Party. Sapir has called for the abolition of the three Labor Party factions and argues that as long as they exist, any dialogue is doomed to failure.

‘UNITY FORUM’ MAY AVERT A SPLIT

Nevertheless, a new proposal has emerged for a “Unity Forum” that would include such veteran Labor personalities as former Premier Golda Meir, former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, former Agriculture Minister Yosef Almogi and Moshe Carmel, former Minister of Transport. It would also include Histadrut Secretary General Yehuram Meshel, the various party secretaries and Sapir.

Such a powerful grouping within the Labor Party and representative of all of its factions, is regarded as the only one that can avert a split. It was proposed as an alternative to the old “kitchen cabinet” of the Meir government wherein Mrs. Meir and a handful of her closest associates reached decisions on major issues without consulting the rest of their colleagues in the party and government.

Rabin is facing another problem in filling vacancies in his Cabinet. The Communications Ministry post has remained unfilled since Rabin took office. The recent resignation of Information Minister Aharon Yariv created another vacancy. The Premier is under severe pressure from the new immigrant lobby and Sephardic circles to name a new minister from the Oriental community. The apparent choice of these groups is Mayor Tzvi Aldorati of Migdal Ha Emek.

The Labor Party, however, is not the only one facing serious internal difficulties. The National Religious Party is sharply split between its veteran leadership and its “young guard.” The rift has been aggravated by recent scandals involving two leaders of the world Mizrachi movement–banker Tibor Rosenbaum and Rabbi Bernard Bergman who is under investigation in the U.S. for alleged fraud in connection with his nursing homes there. Conciliatory moves so far have failed. The Likud opposition is also having trouble with its four-member Free Center faction which has recently split in two.