Seidel Leaving Ilp to Join Major Faction in the Likud

The Independent Liberal Party suffered a major blow today when Hillel Seidel, one of its four MKs, announced he is leaving the ILP to join the Liberal Party, one of the two major factions in Likud. Seidel said while he was joining as an individual he was ready to lead an ILP group within the Liberal Party.

In a letter to ILP leader Moshe Kol, Seidel said his decision came after long deliberation. He said although he supports the ILP’s social and economic ideology he believes change can only be brought about by a large and strong party.

Seidel’s move was only the latest in the game of political musical chairs that is going on in preparation for the May 17 Knesset election. Maariv published a cartoon today showing Yigal Yadin, leader of the Democratic Movement for Change (DESL), as the Pied Piper leading members of the Labor Party. Likud, the ILP and others as the worried Premier Yitzhak Rabin and Likud leader Menachem Beigin look on.

OTHERS JOINING YADIN’S MOVEMENT

This appears to be the situation as Yadin’s movement yesterday was officially joined by two such diverse elements as Res. Gen, Meir Amit, head of Koor Industries, the giant Histadrut conglomerate, and other members of his group of Histadrut industrial managers and the Black Panthers, who have been fighting for equal rights and economic gains for the Sephardic community. In addition, such prominent personalities as former Air Force Commander Mordechai Hod have been considering joining Yadin’s movement.

Amit, who rejected strong appeals by many Labor members to remain in the party, said in his letter of resignation that he was not changing his ideology but that the present set-up of the Labor Party convinced him that it could not make any changes because of its constant surrender to pressure groups. He said Labor is incapable of running an efficient government, of dealing with the country’s economic and social problems and of making electoral reforms. He said Labor needs a shock treatment.