The emergency economic program approved by a Cabinet majority early this morning will be debated in the Knesset tomorrow. A vote upholding the program is considered a foregone conclusion because of tight coalition discipline, despite angry rumblings of dissatisfaction among MKs of all factions.
Because the coalition factions have been enjoined to support the government in the vote or, at most, abstain, the opposition parties withdrew a series of non-confidence motions. But they are expected to cast their votes against the program.
Much of the anger in the Knesset today was directed at Finance Minister Yitzhak Modai, author of the program, who outlined it to the public in a lengthy broadcast press conference this morning before he appeared in the Knesset at noon. Coalition and opposition MKs were indignant that they had to hear from Modai what they read in the newspapers or heard on radio hours earlier.
Their indignation was translated into noisy interruptions while Modai spoke, making it impossible at times for him to be heard.
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