The Knesset plenum approved in a first reading Monday a bill that would limit the number of government ministers to 18.

The bill, which was introduced by Likud MKs Gideon Sa'ar and Reuven Rivlin, was approved in a 78-7 vote, with all seven of the "no" votes coming from Yisrael Beiteinu MKs.

The bill also calls for the cabinet to be comprised of at least eight ministers, and includes a clause requiring that an absolute majority of 61 MKs approve any amendments to the bill.

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The bill's authors expressed satisfaction at the vote, given that they needed the support of 61 MKs due to fact that the bill proposes an amendment to a Basic Law.

According to Sa'ar, limiting the number of ministers would represent an important step towards restoring the public's faith in the political system. "The amendment to the law will lead to functional governments, that save public money and undoubtedly better functioning on behalf of the government and the Knesset."

Rivlin added that, "The bill makes the rules of the game clear to all sides, and places a limit on political extortion."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and government ministers Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Shaul Mofaz, Roni Bar-On, Yuli Tamir, Eitan Cabel, and Yacov Ben-Yizri all voted in favor of the bill.

The previous Basic Law on the Government, which is widely known as the law on direct election of the prime minister, had included a clause limiting the number of government ministers to 18. The clause was cancelled, however, when then-prime minister Ehud Barak sought to expand his government.