Observers here were pondering today whether the surprise defeat suffered by Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin in the governing council of the Democratic Movement for Change (DMC) will mean the break up of the movement founded by the farmer Hebsew University archaeologist and onetime general. Yadin’s defeat Friday night came over a technical question at the first meeting of the 135-member council, which was elected only last month, when he forced a vote on his proposal that the party’s institutions be elected before the DMC holds on ideological discussion. Yadin, who was opposed by Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, head of the Shinui group in the DMC which wants the DMC to pull out of the government, lost by a vote of 58-57. Rubinstein’s supporters were joined by Transport Minister Meir Amit in the vote.
Before the vote Amit had urged Yadin to drop the proposal, saying the DMC was in danger of disintegration. “If the movement is dear to you…” Amit said. He was interrupted by Yadin who said angrily, ” I established this movement long before you joined it.”
There was a second vote on a measure by the Rubinstein-Amit group that an ideological debate take place before the institutions are established. This was supported 59-57. Yadin made no comment after what was seen by many to be a vote of no-confidence in his leadership. His supporters noted that there were II council members absent and nine of them were Yadin supporters. But Rubinstein was jubilant and held a celebration at his apartment that lasted into the early morning hours. He saw the vote as a good amen for his position that the DMC should leave the government.
The question now is whether such a breakaway could come before the Camp David meeting, especially since Yadin is expected to be one of the Israeli delegates to the summit. If the DMC, with its 15 votes in the Knesset, left Premier Menachem’s coalition, the government would still have 62 votes, a majority in the 120-member Knesset. In addition, there is a belief that some of the DMC MKs, perhaps including Yadin, would continue to support the Likud government.
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