Yadin Jumps In

As the country's euphoria over Begin turns to doubts

After five months of indecision, the Democratic Movement for Change, Israel's newest and third-largest political bloc (behind Likud and Labor), finally voted last week to join the government. Until now, Premier Menachem Begin's ruling Likud coalition has had a bare majority--63 seats in the 120-member Knesset; with the addition of D.M.C.'s 15 seats, it will have a far more comfortable 78-seat majority. In return, the D.M.C.'s leader, Yigael Yadin, 60, former general and world-renowned archaeologist, will become Deputy Premier, and his party will get an additional three of the government's 17 Cabinet posts.

In negotiations with Begin before entering the government, Yadin and his party failed to win any concessions. Nevertheless, inclusion of the D.M.C. in the coalition may have a moderating effect on the government. A nonideological grouping of former Laborites and other political outcasts, the D.M.C. is by no means dovish. But it is pragmatic, and in coming into the government, the D.M.C. has reserved the right to take independent positions on matters involving the West Bank; it may demand debates on the issue of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. A D.M.C. presence in the government will also dilute the influence of the ardently nationalistic religious parties, which, with 17 members, have heretofore held a pivotal place. Overall, the inclusion of the D.M.C. in the government will bring the coalition closer to the center of Israel's political spectrum.

The move comes at a time when many Israelis are expressing doubts about the effectiveness of their Premier. His health alone has caused widespread unease; Begin left a hospital and returned to work last week, but there are fears that the damage to his heart has not had time to heal. More than that, however, there is a growing concern that he has offered little in the way of new domestic programs except to allow more settlements in the occupied territories; the economy is drifting, and the country is I heading toward an alarming 30% inflation rate this year alone.

Why did the D.M.C. decide to join the government at this time and not earlier? Yadin, after the D.M.C. membership council voted in Jerusalem to join the coalition, predicted an "approaching emergency" in relations between Israel and the U.S. Said he: "I hope I'll be proven wrong, but we're now facing the toughest test we've faced since 1948. We must help the government change the economy and solve social problems--or else we won't survive." Cynics detected another possible motive: Yadin, as Deputy Premier, will now be in a better position to succeed Begin should the ailing Premier die or become incapacitated.

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