The Cabinet today fired Prof. Assaf Rasinn, director of the government’s economic planning authority, because of his strong public criticism of the government’s economic policy. The Cabinet acted unanimously at the request of Finance Minister Simcha Ehrlieh who claimed that Rasinn had reneged on a promise not to attack the government at public forums.
Rasinn, who is presently visiting the U.S. was not available for comment. His relations with the government and especially Ehrlich began to deteriorate last month after the Cabinet was unable to agree on budget costs.
He told a newspaper interviewer at the time that “the government and the Premier are not serious” about solving economic problems and charged that Premier Menachem Begin “is completely out of the economic problems.” Asked how he could attack the government that employed him Rasinn said he was hired to give economic advice and that was exactly what he was doing.
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