Israel’s Parliament was scheduled to hear tomorrow a motion of non-confidence in the Government which the Liberal Party has submitted on the handling of the case of Robert A. Soblen, the convicted spy who fled to Israel from the United States to avoid serving a life sentence. Soblen is now in Britain recovering from a suicide attempt and awaiting action on a writ for habeas corpus in his fight to avoid being returned to the United States.
In submitting the motion, Ishar Harari of the Liberal party said the non-confidence motion was based on the Government’s “ignoring the rule of law” in its speedy expulsion of Soblen and also to protest the Government “attempt to deprive the opposition of an opportunity to express itself on such urgent important matters.” The latter comment referred to the refusal by the Knesset presidum to recognize last week the urgency of the demand for debate on the issue.
The Knesset Finance Committee, during a discussion of the budget of Interior Minister Moshe Shapiro’s ministry budget, asked him to appear to explain Soblen’s expulsion. The principal opposition criticism was to the speed with which the expulsion was effected. The Ministry has contended that it was the duty of Soblen’s lawyer to ask the Israel Supreme Court to intervene, which he did not.
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