Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem automatically dissolved at midnight (23:00 CET local time). The deadline for an agreement on the budget for 2020 had previously expired. The coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benni Ganz was unable to come to an agreement in the budget dispute. A final attempt at a compromise failed yesterday in Parliament. Israeli citizens now have to vote for the fourth time in two years. The new election is expected on March 23rd.
Even before the Knesset was dissolved, discussions began on how a new election can be held safely during the CoV crisis. It was about the question of how CoV sufferers can cast their votes.
Severe tensions between coalition partners
In the grand coalition between Netanyahu’s right-wing populist Likud party and the center alliance Blau-Weiß von Ganz, there was a lot of trouble from the start, and tensions have intensified recently.
The coalition agreement stipulates that the government will adopt a budget for 2020 and 2021. Netanyahu had withdrawn this commitment and only wanted a budget for 2020. The head of government himself named the extraordinary circumstances of the CoV crisis as the reason. However, critics assume that, among other things, he wanted to prevent Ganz from taking over the office of head of government from him in autumn 2021, as agreed.
In order to prevent a severe economic crisis in the coming year, the government approved a financial plan as an alternative to a regular budget.
Corruption trial against Netanyahu
A corruption trial is ongoing against Netanyahu. Ganz has accused the 71-year-old of wanting to do everything possible to avoid conviction.
The alliance around Ganz has now crumbled. In the case of a new election, blue-white must even fear whether it will make the 3.25 percent hurdle. After a new election, Netanyahu has to reckon with problems again in forming a government. According to surveys, the right-wing camp is stronger than ever. However, it is fragmented between different parties, whose chairmen are all considered bitter rivals of Netanyahu who want to become head of government themselves.
