Two leading newspapers, Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post, called today for an immediate amendment to the existing law in order to facilitate Yitzhak Rabin’s resignation as Premier. Under the present legal situation, Rabin is virtually barred from stepping down until after a new government is formed following the elections, because no member may resign from a caretaker government.
Rabin has declined to use the one legal loophole available to him–declaring that he is “unable” to continue in office–because, according to sources close to him, he does not feel that he is, in fact, “unable.” Justice Minister Haim Zadok promised yesterday that a committee would be set up to review the law and suggest changes, but said this should wait until the new Knesset is elected. The Post and Haaretz demanded today that this be done right away.
Such an amendment would serve the interests of both the Labor Party and the State as a whole, the Post wrote editorially. “This would appear to be one instance in which Labor’s welfare fully coincides with the national interest.”
The paper noted that the Likud had called the Knesset into session (next Tuesday) to discuss the legal situation. “Does the Premier propose to reject the Likud’s helping hand and turn down its offer or cooperation? This is one of the several disturbing questions pointed up by the course of action chosen by Mr. Rabin….Has Mr. Rabin now decided that…since his offense was trivial, he should remain strategically located at Labor’s top, not only in the Knesset but also in the Cabinet, in order to be able to challenge Mr. Peres in due course?…”
Haaretz wrote the present situation was “intolerable.” The administrative fine levied on the Premier “is not a purification of Rabin’s name,” the paper continued. Rabin’s public image has not been cleansed by the Treasury, which imposed the fine, and the Labor Party, too, which put him on its Knesset list, is not able to cleanse his image, Haaretz asserted. “…Zadok’s opinion that the required amendment of the law must wait till the next Knesset is unacceptable,” Haaretz declared.
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