Newspaper Page Text
Friday, Sept. 27, 1968
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Pag* Three
CARL ALPERT
Israel Too Plays The “Poll” Game
Alpert
HAIFA—If the elections were
to be held tomorrow . . . Israelis
are already playing this pop
ular game, although they will
not be going to the polls until
the fall of 1969,|
more than
year from now.!
Straw ballots!
are being heldf
on every hand, I
and, under!
many auspices,!
but they all seem?
to point in thel
same direction:!
the enormous!
popularity en
joyed by Moshe Dayan.
In September of last year,
with the elections still two years
off, questions put by the Pub
lic Opinion Research Institute
of Tel Aviv seemed to relate
more to the immediate defense
needs of the country, only
three months after the war.
Eshkol was the choice of 44%
to continue as Prime Minister;
Dayan was seen as Premier ma
terial by only 14%, but 71%
wanted him to continue as Min
ister of Defense. Abba Eban had
only a 4% chance for Premier,
but 78% liked him as Foreign
Minister. Yigal Allon rated a
lowly 5% for Prime Minister.
By the spring of this year the
picture began to change.
Though Mr. Eshkol had not of
ficially withdrawn from the
race, it was generally believed
that Allon was to be the heir
designate of the Establishment.
A public, non-partisan rally in
Tel Aviv, without scientific
basis of any kind, held a ref
erendum. Speakers gave rea
sons for their choice, and the
audience of 700 then voted: 498
for Dayan for Prime Minister;
74 for Allon; the remainder un
decided.
A serious scientific sampling
of the entire voting population
of the country was taken by
the Dachaf Agency in June. The
results were illuminating. If the
voters had to choose between
Dayan and Allon, they would
go for Dayan, 62% to 21%. In
the event of Dayan versus Esh
kol, the results would be Dayan,
47% to 31%.
The Dachaf questionnaire
delved into a finer breakdown
of the Dayan-Allon confronta
tion. Dayan’s 62% backing was
comprised of support from 66%
of the women and 59% of the
men polled. In a breakdown as
between the Ashkenazi and
Sephardic communities, the
Sephardim were 72% for Dayan
and 14% for Allon; the Ash
kenazim were 58% for Dayan,
25% for Allon.
At about the same time, the
students at Bar Ilan University,
asked their opinions, were less
restrained. About 100% voted
for Dayan in first place; Eban
was second choice and,
Eshkol a poor third.
But no matter what the pub
lic thinks, Israel’s voters will
between the leading candidates,
not have a chance to choose
The ballot here calls for a vote
between parties only. Eshkol,
JOYOUS
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
M. Ringel
Antiques Co.
4 Lane Highway
Kennesaw, Georgia
428-2967
Dayan, All on and Eban all be
long to the Labor Party, and
it is the party leaders who will
decide which name heads the
list and is therefore the can
didate for Prime Minister. When
it comes to party loyalties, the
Israel electorate is remarkably
stable. In the twenty years of
statehood there have been only
minor swings in popular sup
port.
The Public Opinion Research
Institute poll of this year pre
dicts only the slightest of
changes from the results of the
1965 Knesset elections. Allow
ing for various party amalgama
tions which have taken place
since then, the Labor Party
which got 44.6% in 1965, would
be expected to poll 45.25%
today; the conservative party,
Gachal (formerly Herut and
General Zionists) which got
21.3% last time would probably
get 20.5% now The religious
parties received 14.0% in 1965
and seem destined for 13.6%
now.
The mass of Labor voters,
then, will have to accept the
leadership decided on by their
party bosses — whether it is
£shkol or Dayan or Allon who
heads the list, and will have
little other alternative except
to vote for Gachal, headed by
Menshem Begin.
Dayan himself has thus far re
mained aloof from the pre-elec
tion excitement. “I’m not aware
of any race,” he says. “If I had
to choose between Eshkol and
Allon, I would choose Allon.
But if I had to make a choice
at all — well, I can think of
several other, even better can
didates.”
If his party fails to put him
at the head of the ticket, des
pite his very obvious popular
ity what will Dayan do? Will
he bolt the party? Much can
happen politically in the next
twelve months — and doubtless
will.
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