Israelis of diverse political views are distressed by the portrayals of Likud leader Menachem Beigin as intransigent, unreasonable and a former “terrorist” which have appeared in foreign news media, particularly in the U. S., since Likud’s victory in last Tuesday’s elections. Premier Yitzhak Rabin said on a television interview Friday night that he strongly condemned the personal attacks on Beigin and urged all Israelis, whatever their party affiliation, to dissociate themselves from such “slander.”
The attacks on Beigin in the foreign press stem not only from his hard-line political positions but from the fact of his leadership of the underground Irgun Zvai Leumi which fought the British Mandatory authorities in Palestine more than 30 years ago. Beigin himself is disturbed by the unflattering image projected abroad and has dispatched a close associate Shmuel Katz, to Washington to talk to members of Congress, other political figures and representatives of the news media.
Katz, who is the foreign affairs spokesman for Beigin’s Herut party and a former spokesman for Irgun, will apparently try to convince the Americans that Irgun was a legitimate liberation movement and did not engage in terrorist acts. He will also explain Beigin’s political positions. The attacks on Beigin are also a source of concern to the Foreign Ministry.
It was learned today that Foreign Minister Yigal Allon has instructed Israeli embassies all over the world to counter slanderous remarks about Beigin and to stress the working of the democratic process in Israel. Prof. Shlomo Avineri, Director General of the Foreign Ministry, promised to act accordingly. The Likud-government transfer committee met here today to consider streamlining the Cabinet. The number of portfolios are expected to be reduced from 19 to 11 or 14 in a Likud-led government. The Ministry of Tourism will be merged with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Transport with the Communications Ministry. A possibly controversial change would be the incorporation of the Police Ministry into the Ministry of Interior. The latter is traditionally held by the Orthodox National Religious Party (NRP). This party, which demands, among other things, enforcement of religious observances, would be in control of the police if the merger takes place. A new Ministry for Energy may be formed.
Civil Service personnel are worried over large scale dismissals under a Likud regime and their union has already made it clear that it will fight such a move. Meanwhile, Rabin surprised his countrymen when he announced on television Friday night that he would resume the Premiership when he ends his vacation and will retain it until a new government is formed. Rabin, not Labor Party leader Shimon Peres, will be the man to hand over the reins of power.
COALITION TALKS TO BEGIN THIS WEEK
Coalition talks will begin this week and are expected to be prolonged and difficult. Likud negotiators will meet tomorrow with leaders of the Democratic Movement for Change (DMC), Israel’s third largest political party headed by Prof. Yigal Yadin. Among other things they are expected to discuss the allocation of Cabinet portfolios in a possible Likud-DMC coalition.
Likud has decided that it will hold the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry in addition to the Premiership. It may offer the DMC the Deputy Premiership and the ministries of finance and trade and industry originally ear-marked for Likud.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
