A new Israel Government crisis is in the making and may break out at any moment, it was learned here today. The reason for the latest development appears to be the inability of the five man Ministerial committee to resolve the demands of the Religious Bloc on the religious education of children in the immigrant work centers.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Judah L. Maimon, Minister for Religion and leader of the Mizrachi Party, has been asked not to continue his trip to the United States until the situation is clarified. Rabbi Maimon, who is now on the Riviera on route to the U.S., has been informed of the situation by cable. He was scheduled to arrive in the U.S. next week.
The situation within the five-Minister body–which is headed by Premier David Ben Gurion–“blew up” last night. Subsequent efforts to bridge the gap between the Religious Bloc and other members of the coalition have failed. The next major development is expected at Thursday’s meeting of the full Cabinet.
Sources close to the Orthodox leaders assert that this time the crisis will not take the form of resignation of orthodox Ministers from the Cabinet. Instead, they say, the Religious Bloc will insist upon new national elections. This demand may be presented to the Cabinet Thursday.
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