Following is a list of the 26 ministers who have been named so far to the new Israeli Cabinet. It presently includes 11 ministers each from Likud and Labor, and two ministers each from Shas and the National Religious Party.
Portfolio – Minister – Party
Prime Minister – Yitzhak Shamir – Likud
Finance – Shimon Peres – Labor
Foreign Affairs – Moshe Arens – Likud
Defense – Yitzhak Rabin – Labor
Construction and Housing – David Levy – Likud
Education and Culture – Yitzhak Navon – Labor
Economics and Planning – Yitzhak Moda’i – Likud
Police – Haim Bar-Lev – Labor
Environmental Protection – Ronni Milo – Likud
Science and Development – Ezer Weizman – Labor
Justice – Dan Meridor – Likud
Communications – Gad Ya’acobi – Labor
Tourism – Gideon Patt – Likud
Agriculture – Avraham Katz-Oz – Labor
Transport – Moshe Katsav – Likud
Health – Ya’acov Tsur – Labor
Industry and Trade – Ariel Sharon – Likud
Energy and Infrastructure – Moshe Shahal – Labor
Interior – Arye Deri – Shas
Immigration and Absorption – Yitzhak Peretz – Shas
Religious Affairs – Zevulun Hammer – NRP
None – Ehud Olmert – Likud
None – Raphael Edri – Labor
None – Moshe Nissim – Likud
None – Mordechai Gur – Labor
None – Avner Shaki – NRP
is also vice premier holds rank of deputy premier.
Peres evidently did not consult Histadrut leaders before announcing the devaluation. He seems to have hoped the labor federation would accept the small decrease in the shekel’s buying power without demanding a commensurate cost-of-living increment for wage-earners.
But Histadrut’s initial reaction was negative. Haim Haberfeld, chairman of the trade unions department, said the devaluation was poorly timed and would cause an immediate 3 percent rise in the consumer price index, for which workers should be compensated.
Peres is consulting with Histadrut officials and leading economists to map out his long-term economic policy.
Meanwhile, the announced devaluation halted trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Tuesday. That, and a Bank of Israel proposal for a capital gains tax, sent the market down by about 10 percent.
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