Knesset Speaker Yisrael Yeshayahu stood on the dignity of the House and suspended a session for close to an hour while a Minister–any Minister–was sought to be present during the budget debate. While there is no specific rule requiring that a Minister attend Knesset debates, the Speaker felt that it was an insult to the House that the Cabinet table was deserted during the debate on the government’s budget. Finance Minister Yehoshua Rabinowitz himself was busy hosting U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Simon. At last, Commerce Minister Haim Barlev was located and he hurried over to the House–whereupon Yeshayahu allowed the debate to continue.
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