Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion challenged today the Ministerial Report–approved yesterday by the Cabinet–which cleared Pinhas Lavon of responsibility for the 1954 “security mishap.” He charged that the report did not reflect “the entire truth.”
The report declared that a senior army officer had submitted a forged document in 1954, blaming Lavon for the mishap which, the report declared, had resulted from an action carried out without Lavon’s knowledge. The seven-member Ministerial committee said in its report that a letter submitted to the 1954 investigating committee contained the phrase “according to Lavon’s order.” The committee said it established that the phrase was added to the original order, and declared that “the senior officer submitted the forged copy…as proof that he had received the instruction from Lavon.”
“We therefore state that Lavon did not give the order on which the senior officer relies and that the ‘unfortunate episode’ was carried out without his knowledge,” the Cabinet-approved report stated.
PREMIER SAYS LAVON GAVE FALSE EVIDENCE; LEVELS OTHER CHARGES.
Three Mapai Ministers abstained from the Cabinet vote approving the Ministerial report, and the Prime Minister demonstratively announced he would not participate in the vote. Those abstaining were Minister of Education Abba Eban, Minister of Agriculture Moshe Dayan and Labor Minister Giora Josepthal.
Although the seven-man Ministerial committee submitted a unanimous report clearing Lavon, who was Minister of Defense when the “security mishap” occurred, and who is now secretary-general of the Histadrut, Israel’s Labor Federation, the Prime Minister’s scathing criticism of the report made it evident that the last word on the controversy was yet to be heard.
The Prime Minister made his views known in a statement he made after the Cabinet vote of approval yesterday. He reiterated his demand for a full dress debate, and charged that Lavon gave false evidence before a session of the Committee for Security and Foreign Affairs of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.
The Prime Minister also charged that “certain actions” by Lavon as Defense Minister “should not have occurred.” In still another accusation, the Prime Minister asserted that Lavon had undermined the authority of Moshe Sharett, who had been Prime Minister at the time, in allegedly not giving Mr. Sharett a report on “certain matters,” and that, as Defense Minister, Lavon gave orders to officers without the knowledge of the Israel General Staff.
Mr. Ben-Gurion’s criticism of the report and charges against Mr. Lavon left no doubt that Mr. Lavon’s conduct will be the subject of another caucus in the Mapai leadership.
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.
