The Gantz-Netanyahu political coalition seems to be on the verge of collapse as the Defence Minister and the PM have failed to agree on the country’s budget. While Benny Gantz insists on two emergency budgets for 2020 and 2021, Benjamin Netanyahu is dodging the deadlines for budgetary approval.
In an apparent potential breakup with the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced on Tuesday that his party, Blue and White, would vote on Wednesday in favour of dissolving the Israeli parliament – the Knesset.
Gantz’s Tuesday announcement sets the stage for another early election in Israel, as Netanyahu has refused to pass a budget and renew the coalition’s power-sharing deal.
On Wednesday, the vote will take place on the Yesh Atid opposition party’s bill to dissolve the Knesset that was proposed earlier in the month by party leader Yair Lapid amid the joint government’s failure to agree on a budget. The squabble inside the Gantz-Netanyahu coalition comes as the Defence Minister insists on an emergency budget for two years, and the PM’s reluctance and delaying tactics.
Earlier, Netanyahu tweeted that “this is not the time for elections, this is the time for unity”, accusing the opposition of trying to “drag the State of Israel into unnecessary elections”.
As Gantz insists that Netanyahu pass the 2021 budget shortly after the 2020 budget under the conditions of the power-sharing agreement, the sitting Israeli PM claimed that he never committed to do so during deal negotiations.
Gantz demanded that Netanyahu prepare and submit the 2021 budget to the Knesset for approval no later than the beginning of December. In a series of tweets, the Defence Minister labeled his coalition partner “a promise-breaker”.
Early elections, as Gantz hinted, could be avoided if Netanyahu brings the 2021 budget for a Cabinet vote during the next three weeks, but many believe that the Israeli PM is unlikely to take those steps.
Wednesday’s vote on the Knesset dissolution is preliminary, as two more hearings would have to take place for the bill to be passed.
Netanyahu and Gantz formed a joint government in May, following three elections resulting in failures to form a coalition, with – among other points – a condition that Gantz becomes the country’s prime minister, instead of Netanyahu, in 2021.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
