Premier Levi Eshkol will present to Parliament tomorrow his new coalition Cabinet of 18 Ministers representing 73 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
The new coalition represents the Mapai-Achdut Avoda alignment, the National Religious Party, the leftist Mapam, the Independent Liberals and the pro-Mapai Arab parties. Mapam was in opposition to the prior Mapai-dominated coalition which resigned after the November 2 general elections in which Premier Eshkol’s Alignment scored an impressive victory, winning 45 seats in the new Parliament.
The new coalition government will be the first in Israel’s Parliamentary history without Mrs. Golda Meir as Foreign Minister. She left the Government after serving without interruption since 1949 and will be replaced by Abba Eban of Mapai, who has been serving as Israels Deputy Premier. Mrs. Meir will remain a member of Knesset and chairman of the executive of the Alignment.
Dr. Dov Joseph is stepping down as Justice Minister and Akiva Govrin as Tourism Minister. Dr. Joseph is being succeeded as Justice Minister by Yaacov Shapiro, Israel’s first Attorney General.
Mr. Eshkol continues as both Prime Minister and Defense Minister.
Pinhas Sapir, of Mapai, was renamed Finance Minister.
Zalman Aranne, of Mapai, was renamed Education Minister.
Behor Shitrit, of Mapai, continued as Police Minister.
Haim Zadok, of Mapai, was retained as Trade and Industry Minister.
Haim Givati, of Mapai, continues as Agriculture Minister.
Eliahu Sasson, of Mapai, was re-named Posts Minister.
Israel Galilee, of Achdut Avoda, was named Minister Without Portfolio, a new appointment.
Yigal Allon, of Achdut Avoda, was re-named Labor Minister.
Moshe Carmel, of Achdut Avoda, was re-named Transport Minister.
Moshe Shapiro, of the National Religious Party, continued as Interior Minister.
Dr. Yosef Burg, of the National Religious Party, was re-named Welfare Minister.
Dr. Zerah Warhaftig, of the National Religious Party, was again named Religious Affairs Minister.
Mordecai Bentov, of Mapam, was named Housing Minister.
Israel Barzelai, of Mapai, retained the Health Ministry.
Moshe Kol, of the Independent Liberals, was named Minister of Development and Tourism.
Deputy Ministers were named to achieve a closer balance among the coalition partners, in accordance with their political strength. Alignment Deputy Ministers named were Zvi Dinstein, Defense; Aharon Yadlin, Education, and Aharon Uzen, Agriculture. Israel Ben Meir, of the National Religious Party, was named Deputy Interior Minister. Yehuda Shaari, of the Independent Liberals, was designated Deputy Development Minister. If Poale Agudat Israel joins, Kalman Kahana will become Deputy Agriculture Minister.
COALITION LEADERS START WORKING ON PRESENTATION OF POLICY PLATFORM
The replacement of Dr. Joseph as Justice Minister erupted in an open dispute last night. Premier Eshkol’s aide said the Premier had informed Dr. Joseph six weeks ago that he did not intend to include Dr. Joseph in the new Cabinet. However, Dr. Joseph
The deadlock on a new Cabinet was finally broken last night when the Premier agreed to give the Independent Liberals the Development portfolio and persuaded Sasson to continue in the Posts Ministry.
Leaders of the coalition immediately began work today on a policy platform which will include Sabbath work restrictions and a promise of new legislation to “protect democracy against strong-arm methods and protect individual rights.” The platform also will promise basic laws to strengthen separation of the nation’s legislative, judicial and executive powers and legislation for a national hospitalization program. The platform also will review the abolition of military government in border areas affecting mainly Israeli Arabs in those areas.
The new government will increase its efforts to strengthen its partnership with the Zionist movement and Jewish communities throughout the world for a better future, Foreign Minister-Designate Eban said today in a message to the World Zionist Actions committee meeting here. He expressed belief that a strong Israel and a striving for peace by all nations would eventually force the Arab leaders to recognize the existence of Israel.
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