Rumors of an imminent split within the Religious Bloc in Israel and its withdrawal from the government coalition were vigorously denied here last night by Itzhak Raphael, head of the Jewish Agency immigration department and a labor Mizrachi leader, addressing a meeting under the suspices of the Mizrachi and the Hapoel Mizrachi organizations here.
Declaring that the Religious Bloc could well be satisfied with the number of its achievements in the religious field due to its participation in the government, Mr. Raphael said that the Hapoel Hamizrachi–as the main force in the bloc–would, together with its partners, continue to share the burden of responsibility of government.
The speaker said that the present economic difficulties in Israel, which opposition to the government is exploiting, are caused mainly by the continued mass immigration into Israel which is placing a superhuman burden on the shoulders of the young state. He said it was the duty of Jews throughout the world to help carry this burden and expressed his conviction that the difficulties would be overcome by joint efforts.
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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.
