The Mapam convention, opening Wednesday, will prepare the party for two options–to remain part of the Labor Alignment or strike out on its own in the next Knesset elections. Mapam leaders said yesterday. Meir Talmi, secretary general and Naftali Feder, the faction’s political secretary, said at a press conference here that the government must take the initiative in a political drive toward peace if Mapam is to continue to be part of the government. They said diversity of opinion among Cabinet ministers did not help bring peace nearer.
Mapam has taken preliminary steps for a separate election list if it finds, after the Labor Party convention in December, that it can no longer remain in the Alignment. These include the establishment of a special department to organize party branches and appoint teams and cadres to conduct election campaigns.
The Mapam leaders welcomed the entry into politics of Prof. Yigael Yadin whose doveish views coincide in many ways with their own. But they said they would prefer to see Yadin in the Labor grouping rather than seeking office as head of an independent list. Some observers here expressed the view that a Yadin list might make inroads-into the Mapam constituency.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
