JERUSALEM, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israel's director of budget at the Finance Ministry resigned on Sunday, claiming intervention by the political echelon, mainly Finance Minister Israel Katz, in professional decisions. In his resignation letter to the minister, Shaul Meridor wrote that "the ability to perform my duties has become impossible. Israel's president Reuven Rivlin said following the resignation that "this difficult step and its implications are of great concern. In July, Meridor expressed criticism at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan of granting direct payments for all Israelis. In response, Netanyahu said in a Facebook post that "economic policy is decided by the government - not the officials."

Source: The Star August 30, 2020 21:11 UTC