CABINET MINISTERS--INCLUDING GOLDA MEIR ABBA EBAN, MOYSHE DAYAN AND YIGAL ALLON--ARRIVING FOR SPECIAL SESSION: MINISTERS MEETING: FUNERAL CORTEGE: MRS. ESHKOL & FAMILY MOURNING: COFFIN AT KNESSET: WIDOW, FAMILY & OFFICIALS WALK ROUND COFFIN.




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Background: FOUR HOURS AFTER THE DEATH YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) OF ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER LEVI ESHKOL, THERE WAS A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ISRAELI CABINET--TO APPOINT AN ACTING PRIME MINISTER AND TO MAKE THE STATE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS.

THIS MORNING, THE BODY OF THE LATE PRIME MINISTER WAS TAKEN BY CATAFALQUE FROM HIS HOME TO THE KNESSET (PARLIAMENT) SQUARE TO LIE IN STATE. THE PROCESSION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIDOW, FAMILY AND ISRAELI OFFICIALS.

THE SPECIAL CABINET MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER YIGAL ALLON, MRS. GOLDA MEIR, GENERAL MOYSHE DAYAN, FOREIGN SECRETARY ABBA EBAN; MINISTERS SAPHIR, KOL, BEIGIN, CARMEL, KOL, GAZITI AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE LUZ. THEY RAPIDLY DECIDED TO APPOINT DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ALLON TO HEAD THE CARETAKER GOVERNMENT UNTIL PRESIDENT ZALMAN SHAZAR SETS UP A NEW GOVERNMENT. THIS MAY NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER.

STRONG CONTENDERS FOR THE POST ARE MR. ALLON HIMSELF, MR. MEIR AND GENERAL DAYAN.

AT THE SAME SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CABINET, IT WAS DECIDED THAT MR. ESHKOL'S BODY WOULD LIE IN STATE AT THE KNESSET (PARLIAMENT) SQUARE ALL DAY TODYA, FROM THERE TO BE TAKEN TOMORROW FOR BURIAL ON MOUNT HERZL, ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF JERUSALEM.

MR. ESHKOL, WHO WAS 73, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK, HE BECAME PRIME MINISTER IN 1963, SUCCEEDING DAVID BEN-CURION. IN HIS TRIBUTE YESTERDAY, MR. ALLON SAID: "HE WAS A MAN WITHOUT A SHRED OF HATRED IN HIS HEART. SECURITY AND PEACE WERE HIS CHIEF GOALS."
ALUF (MAJOR-GENERAL) YIGAL ALLON, WAS BORN IN LOWER GALILEE IN OCTOBER 1918; DURING THE SIX DAYS' WAR OF JUNE 1967, HE WAS A MILITARY ADVISOR TO PRIME MINISTER; HE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT SINCE 1954, AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SINCE JULY LAST YEAR.