The Israeli Constituent Assembly which yesterday opened its first session here today got down to business by electing three committees to deal with the most pressing problems facing the Assembly. The Assembly, known as Knesseth Israel, also received a plan for the drafting of a “transitional law” which will act as the country’s temporary constitution until such time as a permanent charter is accepted.
The three committees named today were: transitional law committee, procedural committee, and mandates committee. The proposal for a temporary draft charter was made by Dr. Felix Rosenblueth, Minister of Justice, as the first order of business today. It is expected that it will be debated at a session tonight.
Rosenblueth’s plan calls for a special committee to be established to draw up the transitional law and have it accepted by the Assembly before the body adjourns ### Tel Aviv on Thursday. He suggested that the law bear a special stamp declaring that it was issued in “Jerusalem, the Capital.”
Another indication that the permanent seat of the Knesseth will be fixed later as given today in the first speech by Joseph Sprinzak, newly elected chairman of the body. He referred to the buildings in which the Assembly is meeting here and will meeting Tel Aviv as “only temporary.”
FIRST ARAB REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKS IN ASSEMBLY
A representative of the Arab people spoke in the Assembly today for the first. ?irs. Amin Jourjoura, one of two delegates elected on the Nazareth Arab slate, rose ?o explain the three-point program for which he and his fellow Arab. delegate stand. He asked that Israel “maintain strict neutrality and not trail after any world power {SPAN}##{/SPAN} bloc, create a genuine, unborrowed constitution and that the state be based on a foundation of truth and justice.”
Jourjoura, who was wearing the traditional headgear of his people, expressed regret that the representation of the Arab people in Israel’s Assembly is so small and asserted that for that very reason those Arabs who are members of the body bear ? greater responsibility. He appealed for help for his people, addressing his plea to the “honorable members of this House who are known as a justice-loving people.” ##s speech was greeted by applause.
The election of Dr. Chaim Weizmann as permanent President of Israel was seen as assured today with the conclusion of a procedural agreement between the Mapai and the Mapam. It was also reported that Fritz Bernstein, Minister for Trade and Indus-try and leader of the General Zionist Party, has begun talks with Menachem Beigen, ?eruth leader, for the formation of a rightist bloc.
Last night, following Sprinzak’s election, a dispute broke out between the left and right wings of the Assembly. The Mapai and Mapam demanded that the Knesseth have only two vice-chairmen, a move which automatically would restrict the praesidium to representatives of the Mapai, Mapam and the Religious Bloc.The Heruth argued for tree or four vice-chairmen, but was defeated.
A second unexpected disturbance developed when Eliezer Preminger, a deputy elected on the Communist slate, rose to make a technical point. He was interrupted by the leader of the Communist parliamentary delegation who announced that Preminger had been expelled from the party and did not represent it. Preminger immediately announced that he would form a party of his own.
The United States, Britain and France were not represented at yesterday’s opening session although the Soviet delegate attended. The representatives of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Cuba, Denmark and the Netherlands were present.
United Nations planes flying over Galilee were-fired on today from Syrian position at the town of Aalmine, located south of Lake Euleh and east of the River Jordan.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
