Premier David Ben Gurion today expressed his opposition against a bill urging the granting of immunity to members of the Israeli parliament.
Appearing in parliament for the first time since his return from the United States the Premier said that he opposes immunity for Israeli deputies, because “some of them may serve as centers for enemy sates.” He went on to explain that immunity against searches may be used by foreign spy organizations in Israel for hiding documents in homes of members of the Knesset.
Figures concerning the results of the elections of delegates to the forthcoming 23rd World Zionist Congress–which took place in Israel last week–were made public here today. They reveal that Premier Ben Gurion’s party, the Mapai, received 50 per cent of the votes cast. The left-wing labor party Mapam came in second with 20 per cent. The Hapoel Hamizrachi, religious labor party, received 13 per cent, the Herut Party, 11 per cent, and the Progressive Party, six per cent. The General Zionists and the Mizrachi boycotted the elections.
The figures are based on a tally of 241,000 out of 275,000 votes cast in the elections. The voting represents a gain in strength for the Mapai which pulled only 36 per cent of the votes in elections to the previous Zionist Congress in 1948, and a loss by Mapam which received 24 per cent at that time as compared to 20 per cent in the present elections.
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