The central committee of the Mapam Party this week-end issued a statement to the press listing the reasons for the failure of the months-long negotiations for coalition between itself and the Mapam Party and charging that the left-wing Socialist group’s confused ideology and “unilateral political crientation” were responsible for the breakdown of the talks to broaden the coalition government by inclusion of the Mapam.
The government party statement revealed that it had rejected a demand for establishment of a labor bloc, consisting of the two groups, within the Cabinet. This, the Mapai insisted, was not possible in a Cabinet based on the principle of collective responsibility of all parties within the government. The statement also disclosed that there was a major difference in the economic field, with the leftists demanding the imposition of higher direct taxes and lower indirect levies.
On the question of a pact with Transjordan, the Mapam insisted that any treaty signed must contain a clause providing that the Anglo-Transjordan mutual defense treaty have no effect in Transjordan territory west of the Jordan River.
Another demand of the left-wing group, according to the statement, was that it must have specific assurances that the government would boycott any Middle East plan which would be equivalent to the Atlantic Pact or the Marshall Plan. It would not be satisfied with government assurances that the government would not become a party to any regional pact or economic plan which would undermine Israel sovereignty.
The Mapam also demanded that the Israel Government support in the United Nations motions to outlaw atomic weapons, reduce armaments and favor a “Big Five” pact. The Mapai felt that such a program would virtually place Israel within the Soviet Bloc at the U.N. and would nullify its neutrality policy.
The talks dealing with security matters revolved about reinstatement in the Israel Army of officers who were members of the Mapam. The Mapai had agreed to rein-statement of most of these officers, the statement said, but continued to object to some of them, including a man described as a popular war hero. Furthermore, the statement continued, the Mapam envisaged a people’s army based on the settlement in the spirit of the Palmach, while the Mapai claimed that the military service act provided for maintenance of the pioneering spirit in the army as a whole.
SHARETT LASHES CUT AT MAPAM’S PRO-SOVIET POSITION
Speaking at a rally in advance of intra-party elections, Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett rejected a Mapam statement blaming his party for the failure of the negotiations. He held that the Mapam’s insistence on “Soviet Russia’s peace trends” was responsible for the breakdown of the coalition talks.
Referring to Mapam charges that Israel is becoming a “Marshallized colony,” Mr. Sharett said: “Yes, if such a charge results in the American loan, which Mapam settlements enjoy fully. Also yes, regarding technical assistance.”
The Foreign Minister said that Israel had applied to the U.S.S.R. to send it an afforestation expert, but had been ignored by the Soviets, while requests for assistance to American scientists such as Dr. Walter C. Lowdermilk, soil conservation expert, and John L. Savage, water resources engineer, were immediately answered in the affirmative. The same is true of weapons, he asserted, stating that for heavy weapons such as planes and tanks, rather than for small arms, the Jewish state was forced to turn to the United States and other countries.
At another point in his speech, Mr. Sharett said that “we have not renounced Russian Jowry. The tragedy of our generation lies in the fact that we build our state without them.”
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