Negotiations for the establishment of a coalition cabinet to govern Israel will get under way officially tomorrow, although Defense Minister David Ben Gurion has been “feeling out” various parties for the past ten days. The official negotiations will be initiated by a Mapai committee which will be named tonight at a meeting of the Labor Party’s central committee.
In his earlier negotiations, Mr. Ben Gurion emphasized that he was not acting as Premier-designate but as “an ordinary citizen” and therefore was not interested in discussing details involved in a coalition such as the number of portfolios to be distributed to participating parties, but rather in general principles upon which a coalition could be based. Mr. Ben Gurion is known to have spoken with leaders of Mapam. Poale Agudah, Poale Mizrachi and Progressives.
As of tomorrow, the Mapai committee will be discussing practical aspects in the organizing of a government with the representatives of various parties. The general impression here is that whether the committee, Mr. Ben Gurion or any one else conducts the negotiations serious obstacles will be met. It is freely predicted that the negotiations will last many weeks.
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