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Ljkud. Labor rift brews Shin Bet affair refuses to die by Yaacov Ben Yosef Special to Ihe Southern Israelite JERUSALEM—The Shin Bet affair will not go away. When President Chaim Herzog granted a pardon to Shin Bet head Avraham Shalom and three Shin Bet agents last Wednesday for al legedly covering up their role in the killing of two Palestinian Arabs soon after they hijacked a bus in April 1984. an end to the month long affair appeared in sight. But. rather than quiet matters, the Herzog pardon merely served to intensify the affair, increasing prospects that tensions would grow between Labor and Likud which could threaten the future of the National Unity Government. By Tuesday of this week, it ap peared that a resolution might be near: the setting up of a probe into the affair, not as far-reaching as some would like, but an investiga tion nevertheless. The affair began when former Attorney General Yitzhak Zamir insisted this spring on a probe into the Shin Bet’s role of the 1984 Gaza bus hijacking: terrorists hijacked the bus near Ashkelon and took it to the Gaza Strip where Israeli soldiers stormed the bus. Two ter rorists were killed as was one Israeli woman soldier; two other terror ists were taken away alive but later died from beatings. The Shin Bet affair focused on who ordered the deaths of the two terrorists. Israeli press reports have suggested that Shin Bet head Sha lom gave the order acting under instructions from the then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. After Zamir was replaced by a new attorney general, Yosef Har- ish, in early June, the latter ap peared on the verge of suggesting a probe, an act strongly opposed by Yaacov Ben Yosef his blanket pardon to Shalom and three of his Shin Bet deputies. Peres announced after the par don he would set up a special commission to determine future procedures for the Shin Bet based on “the lessons of the past." But a tidal wave of anger swept over the country at the Herzog pardon and fresh demands were heard late in the week for a probe that would focus not only on future proce dures, but on the entire Gaza Strip bus hijacking and the subsequent alleged cover-up. By the weekend, pressure grew within Peres’ Labor Party to set up an investigative commission with teeth, and sensing his own party's displeasure, the prime minister slowly came around to favoring such a probe. The matter came up at the Sunday Cabinet meeting but no firm decisions were taken. By Monday, both the Knesset and the Supreme Court became center stage. Live no-confidence motions had been brought by the small parties against the govern ment for its handling of the Shin Bet affair. They were all defeated Shamir. But then Herzog issued soundly by the evening after five Senate opposes U.N. pension for Waldheim WASHINGTON (Polakoff) — Both the White House and the Senate have put the government of Austria on notice that they dislike the election of former United Na tions Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim as the country’s presi dent despite his lying about his ser vice as a Nazi intelligence officer in Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II. The Senate adopted a non-bind ing resolution without objection that urges President Reagan to instruct the permanent U S. repre sentative to the United Nations to object to the annual pension pay ment of $81,650 to Waldheim. He has received it every year since his retirement in 1982 after 10 years as secretary-general. Senator Daniel Moynihan (D.- N.Y.), who sponsored the amend ment, said, “Had Mr. Waldheim s past been known, it’s very unlikely he would ever have been chosen for the U.N. post. “We can cease to reward him for those 10 years of and a half hours of debate. Unless there was a quick resolu tion to the crisis—by this time now focusing on Shamir's opposition to a probe and Peres’ lukewarm sup port for one—it appeared possible that the government could come unstuck. Minister without portfo lio Ezer Weizman, who has long sought a way to bring down the govern ment, pedaled a plan to get early elections in October. That would by-pass the rotation agreement under which Shamir is supposed to replace Peres as prime minister on Oct. 25. Lor the first time Peres declared publicly that the Shin Bet affair had to be probed. Responding to the five motions, he said that the allegations of a cover-up against the Shin Bet and political echelons “must be investigated in a way which removes doubts." He added that he was prepared to face a judi cial commission of inquiry and that he had "nothing to hide.” The Peres tack was clever. In saying this, the prime minister was putting pressure on Shamir who, many believed, was not prepared to make such a statement. Still, Shamir appeared to be sof tening somewhat. He told a radio interviewer that he did not rule out some type of probe as long as it was not a commission of investigation. Until now Shamir had resisted a probe on grounds that the Shin Bet’s secret method would be exposed, weakening that organiza tion. A three-judge high court panel began hearing five appeals against Herzog’s decision to grant immu nity from prosecution to Shalom and three other agents. The only decision the court panel took on Monday was to excise Herzog’s name as a defendant in the cases so that he would not have to testify. Precisely why Peres has waited so long before agreeing to a probe of the Shin Bet affair has been debated here extensively. One the ory has it that the prime minister did not want to appear to be em barrassing or pressuring Shamir on the eve of the rotation agreement. Were Peres to call for an investi gation, the theory went, it would appear that his real motive was to keep Shamir from taking over as prime minister. Low Prices Eye Glasses Contacts [We have a large selection] of quality eyewear. Optical Services T ^ 2441 Cheshire Bridge Rd. Suite 1 1 2 |(next to Service Merchandise) 636-9727 M-F, 9-6; Sat. 10-1 /:> tuAio Award-winning Photography Serving Atlanta’s Jewish Community Since 1947 1230 Monroe Dr., N.E. (corner Amsterdam) 876-3716 /* Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine Featuring Spicy Lamb, Beef, Chicken and Vegetables. Open 7 days, Lunch & Dinner Major Credit Cards Accepted 810 N. Highland Ave., N.E. (404) 872-6483 deception.” Rep. Charles Schumer(D.-N. Y.) introduced a resolution in the House similar to Moynihan’s. Schumer and 34 other congressmen also urged President Reagan not to invite Waldheim to the U.S. if the Justice Department places Wald heim on its “watch list” of undesir able aliens. The department has not ruled on a recommendation from its Office of Special Investi gations to put him on that list. The administration’s ambivalent position has continued in connec tion with the ceremony in Vienna July 8 for the swearing-in of Wald heim as president. The deputy pre sidential news secretary, Edward Djerjian, said the U.S. ambassador to Austria, Ronald Lauder, has not received an invitation for the ceremony and that he has had long-standing plans to be outside Austria on that date. TiD^n TM3 min CfTB These are the deeds tor which a man is rewarded in this world and assured a place in the next honor ot father and mother, acts ot compassion, and the reconciling ot men one with another But the study ot Torah outweighs them all (Peah 1:1) Yeshiva High School’s Beit Midrash (Study Center) Continues Through The Summer! Atlanta’s only community wide year-round Beit Midrash/Study Center offers Torah study groups for all ages. Study Talmud, Bible and other classical Hebrew texts with the rabbinic faculty of Yeshiva: Rabbis Herbert Cohen, Shlomo Freundlich and Moshe Greebel, and spe cial guest instruction. ~ „ ° One-on-one or small group sessions WHEN: Sunday - Thursday nights 8:00-9:30 p.m. WHERE: Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 LaVista Road, N.E. (new location) Study groups continue in Mishna, Jewish law, Hebrew reading, Bible for beginners... Jewish Song, A Vehicle For Jewish Awareness Special Summer Concert, Featuring: Moshe Yess Wednesday, July 6 7:30 p.m. Congregation Or VeShalom Admission at the door: *6 adults/*3 children 1681 N. Druid Hills Rd., N.E.For more information, call 873 1492. . W. vVi '. AAftUiA W.4 • > r *+.««.** • PAGE 3 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 4, 1986