Blue and White party head Benny Gantz has threatened to support Opposition Leader Yair Lapid's proposal to dissolve the Knesset.
Furious at the Likud party over its moves to delay the passage of a state budget for 2021 in violation of their unity agreement, Blue and White is now trying to increase pressure on Likud. After ordering an official investigation into the government's controversial procumbent of German submarines several years ago last week, on Monday Blue and White proposed legislation opposed by Likud and the haredim and threatened to vote in favor of dispersing the Knesset on Wednesday. A final decision on how Blue and White plans to vote will be made Tuesday night, and it appears like the party will move in that direction.
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Netanyahu responded to Blue and White's threats in a faction meeting, Monday, accusing the opposition of trying "to drag the State of Israel into needless elections. The Likud will vote against elections and in favor of unity. Unity so that we can bring vaccines for all of Israel's vaccines, unity so that we can continue to fight the coronavirus with determination, unity so that we can submit further financial assistance for businesses, for independent businesses, for citizens. Unity so that we can sign additional peace agreements. These are our missions, and we need to carry them out together. The citizens of Israel need a government that acts not for elections, not for politics, but for them – for all of Israel's citizens, without exception. For unity."
Blue and White retorted that "Benjamin Netanyahu is the one who has been violating agreements, stalling appointments, and preventing the state budget [from being passed] for political and personal reasons for months. It is not for nothing that in every poll, a vast majority of the public blames Netanyahu for the anticipated path toward elections because it's the truth. If there was no trial, there would be a budget."
Meanwhile, in a faction meeting with the Telem party, Opposition Leader and Yesh Atid party chief Yair Lapid called on Blue and White to support a proposal to disperse the Knesset.
"If Blue and White does the right thing, the government will be sent home, and Israel will set out on a new path. In another 48 hours, we can end the path of the worst government in Israel's history. I'm calling on the Blue and White party; what happened, happened. Let's do the right thing together. The time has come for you to stop being Netanyahu's collaborators. You had good intentions. It didn't work. Now is the time to rectify [the situation].
Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri commented on the coalition crisis in an interview with a haredi radio station, Monday.
"I wouldn't rush to announce elections. There's still time until Wednesday. Even if the law passes the preliminary reading on Wednesday, there are a few days left until the second and third reading. I believe the prime minister [when he says] he isn't interested in elections."
Meanwhile, Blue and White party leader and Defense Minister Benny Gantz instructed party chairman Eitan Ginzburg to advance anti-discrimination legislation this week. Gantz's move would see three new laws on the table, with the aim of completing the legislative process in the current Knesset. Among those set to be set forward – Basic Law: Equality, which would ban discrimination, a surrogacy law aimed at expanding the circle of women eligible for the procedure and regulating the use of an overseas surrogate. In addition, Blue and White will advance Basic Law: Declaration of Independence, aimed at ensuring the status of the declaration as a source of inspiration obligating Israeli legal interpretation.
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Yisrael Beytenu party chief Avigdor Lieberman said of the proposed legislation, "This is nothing but a smokescreen. Gantz does not really intend to advance the laws. He's interested in the media noise. How else how can we explain the fact that he was reminded of these laws at of all times the week when the law to disperse the Knesset is being pushed forward?"
For his part, Deri also said the laws wouldn't make it past the preliminary reading.
Finance Minister Israel Katz and senior ministry officials on Monday evening presented highlights of the 2021 state budget to Netanyahu and his advisers. The 2021 budget is for 426 billion shekels and includes 45 government bills and legislative amendments needed for the government to fulfill its economic policy. Later, assuming the government has not been dispersed, Gantz will also review the budget.
Should the government fall on Wednesday, the Finance Ministry will begin talks with various government offices to ask for their comments on the proposed budget, after which, it will be sent for government approval. According to Katz, this will take place "in the first half of the month of December."
"From this point, the timetable that has been set is professional and clear: 30 days to prepare the laws for their submission to the Knesset, and from there, 45-60 days until the legislation is completed in the Knesset during the month of February."
Should the government fall this week, all efforts to advance the budget will be immediately halted.
Ariel Kahana contributed to this report.
