Mrs. Meir Considering Retiring Before End of Term; Plans to Designate Sapir As Successor

Premier Golda Meir is considering retirement before her term of office is up in 1973 and plans to designate Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir as her successor, according to persistent rumors current in Jerusalem. Mrs. Meir is 73. Sapir, 64, was born in Poland and settled in Palestine in 1929. Should he succeed her, the reins of power in Israel would continue to be held by the old generation of Labor Zionists from Eastern Europe. According to the rumors, Israel’s popular Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, has agreed privately to continue to serve in a government headed by Sapir. If this report is correct, Dayan a 56-year-old native-born Israeli, may have put aside his own ambitions to succeed to the Premiership. According to public opinion polls taken in recent years, Dayan is the first choice of most Israelis to become Prime Minister.

The reports that Mrs. Meir plans an early retirement stem from indications that she is increasingly fatigued by the burdens of office a thought her health is said to have improved since she took office in 1969. According to the reports, her decision will be determined by the progress of the Jarring peace talks. If there appears to be a danger of a new war, she will serve out her term. But she would prefer to retire and pass her mantle on to Sapir so that he can gain experience as Premier before the next national elections. Sapir has been assiduously cultivating all sections of the Labor Party and is said to have achieved an unassailable position of influence and power with the Party leadership. However, some sources express doubt that he could lead the Party to an electoral victory in 1973 unless he had some prior experience as Premier.