Yitzhak Berman, a member of the Liberal Party, was elected today unopposed as Speaker of the Knesset, a past that was held until Monday by Yitzhak Shamir. Shamir was sworn into office as Foreign Minister. Berman received 64 votes from the Likud coalition plus Shai, Sheli, Independent Liberals, Civil Rights Party and the Poalei Aguda. The Labor Alignment and several small factions abstained. Labor had sought a secret ballot but the Knesset committee ruled that request out of order.
Berman is a longtime Liberal activist in Tel Aviv and highly successful commercial lawyer. (He must now give up his low practice, of course.) He is a political “dove” in Likud terms. He was quoted today as believing, for instance, that settlements should only be erected in the areas for urgent and legitimate security reasons, otherwise not.
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