Premier Menachem Begin’s government coalition easily defeated a Labor Alignment motion of no confidence yesterday by a vote of 67 to 38 in the Knesset. Labor received only the support of Sheli, the Civil Rights Movement, Poalei Agudat Yisrael and the Communists in its motion attacking the way the government had presented the proposed 1978-79 budget.
The budget was approved last week on first reading after it was cut by IL 3 billion to IL 179 billion. Labor Alignment MK Adiel Amorai, who presented the no confidence motion, said there was no information on how the government planned to cut the IL 3 billion. He said the Finance Ministry’s price forecasts were inaccurate and the budget would lead to export difficulties this summer.
Amorai, who is considered the Labor Alignment’s economic expert, said he believes that Finance Minister Simcha Ehrlich allowed his economic philosophy to overcome his economic wisdom. Ehrlich, himself, did not reply. Instead, the government answer come from Moshe Nissim, a newly-appointed Minister-Without-Portfolio, who said the motion was “much ado about nothing” since the budget had already been approved on first reading. He hinted that it was merely Labor’s way of demonstrating its presence.
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