— Mapam launched a two-fold election campaign last night aimed at toppling the Likud-led government in the next Knesset elections and assuring a continued Labor Alignment majority in the upcoming Histadrut elections. But, while speakers of the meeting of the party’s Central Committee blasted the Begin regime they also had tough words for the Labor Party their Alignment partners.
The Knesset elections are more than a year away — barring events that may require early elections — but Mapam believes that the Labor Party must start cleaning house now to prepare for what Mapam Secretary Victor Shemtov said would be a struggle between “superpowers.” According to Shemtov, Labor must end its internal conflicts which provide ammunition to its opponents. The Labor Party must mobilize all of its resources for the election struggle and should not fear self-criticism for past mistakes, Mapam leaders said.
They also urged Labor not to insist on the Jordanian option to settle the future of the West Bank but to press for a Jordanian-Palestinian option that would involve the Palestinians in that territory. (See related story P.4.)
The Mapam Central Committee adopted a series of resolutions, the first of which was to begin the election campaign immediately and on its own and later as port of the Labor Alignment after a combined campaign headquarters is established. Mapam pledged to recruit all of its forces and resources in towns and kibbutzim for the election effort and to launch a fund-raising drive.
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