Representatives of the religious groups in Israel may resign from the Cabinet if the goverment continues to tolerate violation of religious edicts in the immigrant camps, it was announced here today following a meeting of all members of the Parliament belonging to the Religious Bloc.
The meeting was convened at the initiative of the Hapoel Hamizrachi, the labor Orthodox Party. Prior to the meeting, the central committee of the Hapoel Hamizrachi discussed the subject at its own parley which was attended by members of the organization who are in the Parliament, the Jewish Agency and the government, It was decided at this conference that all Hapoel Hamizrachi members would resign from their posts if the situation regarding religious education in the immigrant camps does not improve.
(In New York, the executive board of the Agudas Israel of America today held an emergency meeting at which a resolution was adopted “to lend the fullest support” to Rabbi Itzhak Moir Lewin, Israel’s Minister of Welfare, who declared in Jerusalem that the members of the Religious Bloc will resign from the coalition government unless children of Orthodox parentage arriving in Israel from Near Eastern countries are given a religious education. Cables to this effect have been sent by the Agudah to Rabbi Lewin and to Premier David Ben Gurion.)
At the meeting of the Israel Cabinet today the question of religious education in the immigrant camps was discussed in the light of the Religious Bloc’s threat to leave the coalition government. No details of the discussion were announced, nor is it known whether a decision was reached.
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