Israel Cabinet Condemns Bombings During Election Campaign

The Israel Cabinet, at its last meeting today before the national elections Tuesday took a vigorous stand against the bombings which have taken place during the election campaign and which reached a highpoint when a bomb was thrown early Saturday into the home of Israel Rokach, former Minister of Interior, who is the General Zionist candidate for Mayor of Tel Aviv. The apartment was damaged by the blast.

Mr. Rokach was not hurt, but a physician who was called to examine him shortly after the bomb incident ordered him to remain in bed and forbade his participation in five election meetings scheduled for the day. The incident was the principle feature in all election speeches delivered today and yesterday by leaders of the General Zionist Party, who declared that “the bomb will not frighten us.” The bombing of Mr. Rokach’s home is the third such incident involving General Zionist meetings and personalities in recent days.

At today’s meeting of the Cabinet the bombing incidents in general and the one directed against Mr. Rokach in particular were condemned. The Cabinet issued a call to the entire population to expose the “evil-doers” and emphasized that “only enemies of the state, aiming to undermine the foundations of the state, can commit such crimes.”

Meanwhile, the police announced a reward of 10,000 Israel pounds for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the bombing of Rokach’s residence. The police detained a number of persons in connection with the bombing, but all of them were later released after they satisfied the authorities as to their whereabouts at the time of the bombing.

ISRAEL PREMIER SAYS GOVERNMENT DETERMINED TO DISCOVER VANDALS

Premier Moshe Sharett, addressing today an election meeting in Petach Tiqvah, said that the government is determined to do its utmost to discover the vandals who threw the bomb into Mr. Rokach’s home. He said that the use of bombs is a violation of democracy. He expressed the hope that the police would find the terrorists. Other leaders of the pro-government Mapai Party similarly condemned the incident during addresses at election meetings today.

Several thousand supporters of Mr. Rokach assembled last night near his home and expressed their determination to continue the election campaign “in spite of the bomb terror.” Mr. Rokach himself, in a statement from his bed, said: “Bombs could not stop me from continuing my activities for the state and for my city. I call on all political parties to regard the situation as most serious that has developed from the use of bombs in an attempt to force opinions on others. Let the bomb at my home become a warning note to all Israelis.”

Mayor Chaim Levanon of Tel Aviv, a General Zionist, said at a mass meeting today that the Tel Aviv municipality severely condemns such terrorist tactics. He called on the leaders of all political groups to take steps to end the use of such methods in this election campaign.