Abortion Law Amendment Passed on First Reading by Vote of 58-53

A controversial amendment to the abortion law passed its first reading in the Knesset today by a five-vote margin, giving the Aguda Israel factions a substantial victory and thereby saving Premier Menachem Begin’s coalition government. The vote was 58-53 with nine abstentions.

Coalition MKs, mainly of the Liberal Party, who had opposed the measure, leading to its defeat in a 54-54 tie vote when it was first submitted to the Knesset last month, observed party discipline this time. They did so after Begin declared the vote to be one of confidence in his government. The Aguda had threatened to withdraw its four MKs from the coalition unless the restrictive amendment was adopted. That would have left Begin with too slim a majority in the Knesset to govern for long.

Shlomo Lorincz, head of the tiny Aguda Knesset faction, said after the vote that it was “a victory for common sense and Jewish morality.” He hailed Begin for honoring his pledge to the Aguda that the amendment would be passed. The amendment eliminates clause five of the present abortion law which permitted abortions for socioeconomic reasons — meaning for mothers of poverty-level families with large numbers of children.

Likud Party whips had been lobbying vigorously for weeks to bring defectors into line on the issue. The prospect that the government would have to resign, if the amendment failed and the Aguda carried out its threat, apparently persuaded many coalition MKs to support it although their conscience dictated otherwise.

SOME MKS ABSTAINED OR WERE ABSENT

There was little doubt as to the outcome when the Knesset met today. Nevertheless, three members of the Democratic Movement — Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin, Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir and MK Shlomo Eliahu — voted against the amendment. Another Democratic Movement MK, Akiva Not, absented himself. Unlike the Liberal Party, the Democratic Movement is not bound by coalition discipline in votes on religious issues.

Three other coalition MKs — Hillel Seidel, Yosef Tamir and Yitzhak Yitzhaki, either abstained or were absent. Also absent were Geula Cohen and Moshe Shamir, who defected from Herut earlier this year and are now associated with the ultranationalist, right-wing Tehiya movement.

All Labor MKs opposed the amendment except Rabbi Menachem Hacohen who abstained, with the prior consent of Labor Party chairman Shimon Peres. Had the vote been closer, Hacohen indicated that he would have voted against the government.

Although the government’s victory preserved its 66-seat majority in the Knesset, Begin’s coalition is still in trouble. Yosef Tamir, a veteran member of the Liberal Party, was expected to announce his resignation later today. Should he do so, it would confirm reports of a split in Liberal ranks. Several key members of the party are said to be ready to quit and lain the Shai faction as a first step toward the formation of a liberal-centrist front in opposition to the government.