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President Weizmann Opens Talks with Israel Party Leaders on Formation of New Cabinet

February 19, 1951
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An official announcement issued here today indicates that President Chaim Weizmann started discussions with leaders of various political groups in Israel in an attempt to form a new government coalition to replace the Cabinet which fell last week.

The announcement said President Weizmann today received representatives of the right-wing Socialist Mapam, the left-wing Socialist Mapam, as well as representatives of the Religious Bloc. Leaders of other political parties will be received by the President tomorrow, the announcement stated.

The Mapai Party, of which Premier David Ben Gurion is the leader, was firmly on record during the week-end as opposing participation in a new coalition Cabinet and in favor of new general elections. The executive body of the party issued a statement last night endorsing the stand taken by its members in the Cabinet and in the Parliament, and calling on all party members and sympathizers “to volunteer for the election struggle” for a new Parliament.

A statement urged the public to draw the conclusion from the government crisis that the destiny of the state should not be entrusted to minor parties which undermine the strength of the parliament and the government and lower their prestige. It declared that the electorate must now bestow full responsibility on a stable Mapai majority in the forthcoming general elections.

Reviewing the causes of the government crisis, the statement blamed it on the refusal of the Religious Bloc to recognize the right of the Mapai to operate its own religious schools. “Mapai,” it stated, “was unable to surrender to political pressure camouflaged under the cloak of religion. Nor could it see its way clear to give to two religious trends a monopoly on the country’s religious education.”

The central committees of Israel’s other political parties were in conference today formulating their positions. Most of the parties, it was clear, are in favor of new elections to be held as early as possible.

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