Yitzhak Shamir, Knesset Speaker, resigned his office today and took the ministerial both in the Knesset this evening after the House had approved his appointment as Foreign Minister by a vote of 55-39. The voting broke down ###edictably along coalition-opposition lines. Earlier, the Liberal Party group within the Likud had unanimously backed Knesseter Yitzhak Berman to take over from Shamir as Knesset Speaker. The (secret) vote for Speaker is expected tomorrow on Wednesday, with the Labor Alignment likely to put up Knesseter Shlomo Hillel as its candidate. At a brief formal Cabinet session this afternoon the ministers joined Premier Menachem Begin in a toast to the new Foreign Minister.
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