Israel Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan, prior to his return tonight to Israel, told newspapermen here that the Israel Government crisis was “a natural consequence of a democratic regime especially when that regime was based on the proportional election system which needs coalitions.”
Emphasizing that he was expressing a personal view, Mr. Kaplan, describing the government resignation as inevitable after the non-confidence vote, said that would be “a good lesson for all, including the members of the Knesset.”
He said that he believed there should be elections and that they should be held as soon as possible. There were at this time no questions of financial or economic policy involved, he declared, and objected even to the term. “religious issue” as cause of the conflict. The government as a whole, he said, acknowledged the right of religious elements to have their children educated according to their wishes.
The Israeli Finance Minister declined to discuss the nature of his talks with the British Chancellor of the Exchequer and with the President of the Board of Trade. “Relations between the two countries are such,” be commented, “that people here are glad to meet Israelis and discuss with them various problems.”
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