Israeli lawmakers negotiate ahead of looming budget deadline

If the budget deadline is not deferred, and new elections are triggered, it would plunge the country into political chaos during a deep economic and public health crisis and while the prime minister is on trial for corruption.

Israeli lawmakers were trying to negotiate a last minute deal on Sunday to push back a looming budget deadline and avoid sending the country to its fourth parliamentary elections in less than two years. The current political crisis pitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against rival-turned-partner Defence Minister Benny Gantz is ostensibly over the country's national budget. By law, if the government does not pass a national budget by 90 days after its formed, the Knesset automatically dissolves. That deadline expires on Monday night.

But the crisis has deeper roots in the troubled partnership between Netanyahu and Gantz, economic troubles stemming from the country's coronavirus outbreak and the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial. Critics accuse Netanyahu of using the budget battle to force a new election in hopes of securing a friendlier parliament that could help solve his legal troubles. After three deadlocked elections, Netanyahu and Gantz reached a power-sharing agreement in April to form a government to address the virus crisis. As part of their coalition deal, Netanyahu's Likud party and Gantz's Blue and White agreed to pass a two-year budget.

But Netanyahu has insisted on passing a budget to cover only the remainder of 2020, saying it will provide immediate assistance to the economy. Gantz is adamant that the government honour its agreement and pass one for 2020 and 2021. Their disagreement has again brought the country to the brink of political meltdown. Zeev Elkin, a Likud party minister in Netanyahu's Cabinet, said Sunday that “there was a dialogue between the parties” and that “we are trying to avoid elections in any way possible.” The Knesset's finance committee was set to convene later Sunday to discuss a bill to postpone Monday's deadline by 100 days, until Dec. 3. If the committee approves the deferral, it must pass two rounds of voting in parliament before Monday night's deadline.

But pushing back the deadline would only kick the budget crisis down the road. The two parties are at loggerheads over several key issues — including judicial appointments and the annexation of West Bank settlements — and the government has been beset by infighting. Gantz also complained that Netanyahu left him and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi in the dark about the deal announced earlier this month to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates. If the budget deadline is not deferred, and new elections are triggered, it would plunge the country into political chaos during a deep economic and public health crisis and while the prime minister is on trial for corruption.