The acute shortage of newsprint in Israel which threatens to close down all newspapers in the country was the subject of a short, but acrimonious, debate in Parliament last night.
Progressive deputy Dr. Herbert Foerder and General Zionist M. Flesh attacked Dov Joseph, Minister of Trade and Industry, holding him responsible for the situation because he has not granted foreign currency allocations for the importation of newsprint. In defense of his position, Dr. Joseph insisted that the press in Israel had always been free, but asserted that the publication of 21 daily newspapers using 207 tons of newsprint monthly was too much for the Israel economy.
He pledged, however, that from the end of this month more paper would be available. He revealed that $50,000 had already been set aside for purchase of paper and another $50,000 would be allocated shortly.
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