The third Parliament of Israel, sworn in last Monday, voted last night to adjourn for two months until October 17. During this period the Knesset usually takes a holiday recess until after Succoth.
Meanwhile, Menahem Beigin, leader of the Herut Party, now second strongest in the country with 15 deputies, announced that he intends to circulate a petition among deputies to recall the Knesset. Constitutionally such a petition requires the signatures of 25 deputies of the 120-member House. Mr. Beigin interpreted the last election, in which the Mapai lost five seats, as a vote of no-confidence in the government and insisted that on that basis it was “unethical” to delay the formation of the government for two months.
Observers here, however, believe that the Knesset will be called back into session earlier than October if there is a coalition Cabinet ready to be offered for a vote of confidence by Parliament. These observers pointed out that when he closed the session, Speaker Joseph Sprinzak stressed that the deputies could be reassembled earlier than October either by the petition route or at the government’s call.
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