Labor Alignment Embroiled in a Bitter Internal Dispute

The Labor Alignment Knesset faction is embroiled in a bitter internal fight over the role it has played during the “Peace for Galilee” operation. During a meeting of the faction today there were mutual recriminations over the lack of party clarity on this issue and criticisms that the public statements of some of its leaders blurred differences between the Alignment and the Likud coalition.

Yair Tzaban of Mapam sparked the fight when he demanded the establishment of a state inquiry commission to investigate the various aspects of the war in Lebanon. But Labor Party leader Shimon Peres rejected the demand, saying that it was too early to conduct such an investigation, that the proper time would be when the war ends.

Tzaban’s demand was similar to one issued last week by Moshe Shahal, the chairman of the Alignment Knesset faction. He was reacting to a report on Israel Radio that a senior army officer, briefing soldiers on the first day of the war, stated that the goals of the campaign went far beyond the stated aim of the government to establish a 40-kilometer buffer zone between the PLO terrorists and Israel’s northern border. The officer reportedly said that the real aim was for the Israel Defense Force to go all the way to the Beirut-Damascus road and to create “a new order” in Lebanon.

Shahal said that only a state inquiry commission could find out whether this was the “decision of one person without the knowledge of the government, or whether this was a Cabinet decision which was kept from the Knesset.” Shahal said the senior officer’s statement conflicted with Premier Menachem Begin’s statement of the objectives of the war when it began June 6.

PERES REJECTS CALL FOR SHARON’S DISMISSAL

At the Alignment faction meeting today, Yehezkel Zakai asked that the party demand that Defense Minister Ariel Sharon be dismissed. Peres rejected this, saying: “If we ask for his dismissal we will play into the hands of the Premier. Begin wants to cast the entire responsibility (of the conduct of the war) on the Defense Minister, but the entire Cabinet is responsible. It is for Begin himself to resign.”

Yassi Sarid, a leading Labor Party dove, complained that the stand of the party on the war was not clear. He blamed Peres for not having stressed the differences between the Alignment and the government coalition.

Peres urged the Knesset faction members to adopt a unified stand in representing the Alignment and to avoid public differences of opinion. But this went unheeded. Coming out of the meeting, Peres said that during the infighting he maintained a low profile on the differences with the government. He departed afterwards for France, leaving behind him what one faction member described as a bitter and torn Knesset faction.

During his 24-hour visit to France, Peres will meet with President Francois Mitterrand, Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy, Interior Minister Gaston Defferre and leaders of the Jewish community. Sources here said Peres was not carrying any message from Begin and had not been given any assignment by the Israeli government.