The Cabinet today approved Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s proposed reshuffle of portfolios with only the Gahal (Herut-Liberal) Parliament faction in dissent. Mr. Eshkol made formal announcement of the changes to the Knesset (Parliament) this afternoon but debate on the matter was postponed owing to the convention of the Liberal Party whose members were absent from the chamber today.
Labor Minister Yigal Allon will be raised to the rank of Deputy Prime Minister and he will be placed in charge of the new Ministry of Absorption. Yosef Almogi of the Rafi faction will become Labor Minister. The Gahal members voted against the proposals. They told a meeting of Labor Party ministers headed by Mr. Eshkol that they wanted a much larger role in the Cabinet if the proposed changes were introduced. The National Religious Party voted for the appointments of Gen. Allon and Mr. Almogi to their respective Cabinet posts but voted against the appointment of Allon as Deputy Prime Minister.
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