Threat of Crisis in Israel Cabinet over “eisenhower Doctrine” Receding

The threat of breaking up the Mapai-led coalition government over endorsement of the principles of the Eisenhower Doctrine has diminished here following weekend conferences among top-level party leaders.

Considerable progress toward preventing the fall of the present Ben Gurion government was also make at today’s meeting of the Cabinet during talks between Foreign Minister Golds Meir and the ministers who oppose adherence to the Eisenhower Doctrine.

The gap between the Mapai and its left-wing partners — Mapam and Achdut Avodah — has been narrowed to a procedural question of whether the two leftist parties will be allowed to abstain on the question during the expected vote after the foreign policy debate which starts in the Knesset tomorrow. The Mapai, however, is faced with a demand by its junior partners — the Progressive and Mizrachi parties–that it enforce the doctrine of “collective responsibility” of all parties in the Cabinet. A face-saving formula may be worked out before the debate concludes in Parliament.