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SV Former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Dayan and wife leaving home and into car, Tel Aviv, Israel
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SV Deputy Premier-designate Ezer Weizman (blue shirt) with reporters
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Other Likud Party leaders arriving at hospital for talks with ill Premier-designate Menachem Begin
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Weizman speaking to reporters (in English)
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SV Labour Party deputy caretaker premier Shimon Peres speaking to reporter (in English)
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TRANSCRIPT: WEIZMAN: "Mr. Begin's idea was that Mr. Dayan is a man of world stature, that has lots of experience in international negotiations, that believes in most of the things that we believe in, that had a lot to do with the Western (indistinct) in Gaza in the last 10 years, and that he can definitely add to the national, to the national problems that we have in the future."



PERES: "The move of Moshe Dayan came to me completely as a surprise. I regret it. I think it's against the whole of political life in our country and the parliamentarian manner and arrangements. I think that Moshe Dayan has to return his mandate to the party because it was a party list that's it."




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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INTRODUCTION: There has been mixed reaction in Israel to the proposal that the former Defence Minister, General Moshe Dayan, becomes the Foreign Minister in the cabinet of the new right-wing Likud Party Government. General Dayan was apparently offered the position by the ailing right wing Likud leader and Prime Minister-designate, Mr. Menachem Begin.

SYNOPSIS: Generally, there was a storm of criticism over Moshe Dayan's switch in political allegiance. It was an unexpected change after his long-time Labour membership. The veteran soldier and politician, who's been described as a brilliant but unconventional military leader, lost his popularity during the 1973 Middle East war. Israelis as a whole held him responsible for initial battlefield reverses. He was Defence Minister at the time.

General Ezer Weizman, Deputy to Mr. Begin, supported the choice of General Dayan as Foreign Minister. General Weizman himself had been rejected as a possible success for to Mr. Begin by other members in the Likud bloc.

The Labour Party's caretaker deputy premier, Shimon Peres, was more critical.