The Tempest

For six years, Israel has been buffeted by the contrary winds of something called the "Lavon Affair." Last week because of the mysterious Lavon Affair, Israel entered its second month with only a caretaker government.

Behind the crises, as usual, is Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, 74, relentlessly determined that the Lavon Affair be settled in his way or not at all. Because of rigid government censorship, nobody ever knew exactly what the Lavon Affair was all about. All that was known surely was that slender, intense Pinhas Lavon, 56, was forced from his office as Defense Minister in 1955 for his alleged responsibility for a "disastrous affair" that went awry.

Swift Boot. In secret investigations the courts and even the Israeli Cabinet cleared Lavon of any responsibility. Furious at this disregard of his opinion, Ben-Gurion resigned as Prime Minister, forced his Mapai Party to choose between himself and Lavon. The party's central committee swiftly capitulated, booted Lavon out of his job as secretary-general of Histadrut, the potent Israeli labor federation. But audiences in Israeli movie houses booed news films of Ben-Gurion, cheered those of Lavon. Nevertheless, last week Ben-Gurion was prepared to resume his post as Prime Minister when he was disconcertingly balked: four of the six minority parties of his coalition flatly refused to rejoin his Cabinet.

As Israel gloomily contemplated the prospect of holding new elections to resolve the impasse, Manhattan Jewish Newsletter, an anti-Ben-Gurion and anti-Zionist publication, printed an article headlined "The Truth About the 'Lavon Affair,' " written by a "trustworthy" special correspondent, the Rev. Humphrey Walz, a Presbyterian minister from Indiana. Walz maintains that in 1954 Israel was worried at the growing friendly relations between Egypt and the U.S. and, particularly, by a contemplated U.S. aid program to Nasser of $50 million.

To disrupt Egyptian-U.S. amity, the members of an Israeli secret organization were ordered to place bombs in U.S. owned business buildings and theaters and in USIA libraries in Alexandria and Cairo. The agents placed a couple of bombs before they were caught by Nasser's men. Two were executed and six went to jail for long terms.

Israeli journalists discovered that orders for the sabotage had been signed by Defense Minister Lavon. and threatened to publish the news in a British newspaper. Lavon resigned, but later contended that his signature was a forgery. The article concludes: 'The dread secret of Israeli officers ordering the bombing of U.S. Government installations in Egypt is too embarrassing to admit. And Ben-Gurion was determined to protect the forgers and revenge himself on Lavon for challenging his authority."

At week's end David Ben-Gurion hinted that he would let bygones be bygones and resume his post of Prime Minister if the coalition leaders would knuckle under. But. with all his customary steel and stubbornness, he still intends to keep alive the issue that has sundered the country for six years. ''In essence. I know I am right about the Lavon Affair." said Ben-Gurion. "I hope for a chance to prove it."

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