The new economic policy of the Israel Government was today approved in parliament by a vote of 55 to 44. A motion expressing non-confidence in the government was rejected by a vote of 59 to 44.
Winding up a 10-hour debate, Premier David Ben Gurion vigorously denied the allegation that Israel was nearer to economic independence three years ago than it is today. “With the full knowledge of all difficulties facing us, I declare that we have made considerable progress from the time the state was established and that we are richer now than at any time since the establishment of the state.”
Analyzing the causes of the economic crisis, Mr. Ben Gurion stated that “penniless immigration” does not go hand-in-hand with capital. “The Jews of Yemen, Iraq, and other countries did not emigrate because of idealistic motives but were compelled by a whip which does not exist in lands where Jewish capital is concentrated,” the Premier declared. “Whoever maintains that there is a mutual adjustment between the immigration of people and the immigration of capital talks nonsense.”
(The facts behind the government’s new economic policy will be presented to American Jewry at a special conference of Jewish leaders which will take place in Washington on March 1 and 2, it was announced by the Israel Embassy. The conference was called by Ambassador Abba Eban, the announcement said. Mrs. Golda Meyerson, Israel Minister of Labor, is proceeding to the United States on Sunday and will be one of the principal speakers at this conference.)
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
