Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir resigned from the Cabinet, it was announced today. After tendering his resignation to Premier Menachem Begin, Tamir explained that he felt it was his duty to leave the Cabinet because his party, the Democratic Movement, has been reduced to only three Knesset members. He said he would remain in the DM and would continue to support the government in the Knesset. His move apparently was precipitated by the defection of MK Akiva Noff from the DM. Noff said he would join two earlier defectors, Shlomo Eliahu and Shafia Assad who have formed an independent opposition faction. The DM continues to be represented in Begin’s coalition government by Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin and Minister of Social Betterment Yisrael Katz who is not a member of the Knesset.
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