The Labor Party moved this week to avert a break with Mapam and, if possible, preserve the Labor Alignment. The Mapam Secretariate decided last month to dissolve the decade-old Alignment and proposed a united front of all Socialist-oriented factions in the Knesset instead.
Shimon Peres, chairman of the Labor Party, sent a letter to Mapam Secretary General Meir Talmi, with the approval of the Labor Party Bureau, suggesting that the two factions get together to discuss the possibility of establishing a united labor movement. He also proposed that a joint committee be set up to prepare guidelines an all important issues. He conceded that the Alignment could stand improvement but thought it should be reactivated offer certain changes are mode in its institutions.
Mapam decided to break with Labor on grounds that its views were ignored and it had little input in formulating Alignment policies. Labor is aware that the break would weaken its position and jeopardize its chances to regain control of the government from Likud. It considers those chances to be good at the present time.
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