The Israel Parliament today gave a vote of confidence to the reshuffled Cabinet of Premier David Ben Gurion. The changes provided for Eliezer Kaplan to hand over the Finance Ministry to Levi Eshkol and assume the post of Vice Premier without portfolio. Dr. Peretz Naphtali became Minister of Agriculture, while Chaim Cohen took over the post of Justice Minister.
The vote, following a debate in which the government’s economic policy rather than the Cabinet reshuffle was at issue, was 55 to 41, with the General Zionists, leftwing Mapam, Communists, right-wing Herut and Progressives uniting against the government coalition. A separate vote was required for the admission of Mr. Cohen to the Cabinet, and it was carried by 58 to 8, with most of the opposition abstaining.
At the conclusion of the debate, Premier Ben Gurion questioned the necessity for the entire debate and a vote of confidence, since the “transition law” passed yesterday specifically gave him the right to reshuffle the Cabinet without the necessity of asking for a vote of confidence. He said that he consented to the vote “to deprive the opposition of the possibility of complaining later.”
It was understood here today that Mr. Kaplan would immediately hand over his responsibilities to his successor, Mr. Eshkol, and then would leave for a four-month vacation in Switzerland. Mr. Kaplan resigned the Finance portfolio because of continued poor health.
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