The secretariat of the Israel Workers Party (Rafi) was scheduled late today to decide what to do in the wake of a 59 percent vote at a party convention last night to merge with Mapai. Although the margin in favor of merger was substantial, judged by ordinary electoral standards, there was hesitation to proceed because many party delegates eligible to vote did not cast ballots, and there is known to be considerable opposition to merger among the party’s rank and file. The most noteworthy abstainer was former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, founder of Rafi, who declared that he would remain opposed to the merger even if voted unanimously, but would not stand in its way.
Rafi’s Secretary-General Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan are both strong supporters of a merger with Mapai. Gen. Dayan told the party convention that the power needed to carry out Rafi’s program could come only from within a united labor party, not from outside. He said that he would work within the united party to replace Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir. A united party would command 55 seats in the Knesset (Parliament), compared to the 10 now held by Rafi.
Meanwhile Mapai and Achdut Avodah, another labor faction, made it clear that they would proceed with their merger if Rafi does not join.
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