Draft Law or Knesset Dissolution? Political Clock Ticks as Budget Deadline Nears
With a 30-day deadline looming to approve Israel’s state budget, political commentators are warning that the coalition is nearing a decisive moment: Either advance a draft law acceptable to the chareidi parties or risk the dissolution of the Knesset. Analysts say the coming weeks will determine whether the crisis ends in compromise or collapse.
The issue was discussed Thursday night on the main news program of Kol Chai Radio, where host Betzalel Kahn spoke with political commentators Avi Grintzeig and Yishai Cohen. The panel examined the growing political and legal knot threatening government stability, focusing on the late-night drama in the Knesset, the chareidi parties’ decision to halt the Economic Arrangements Law as leverage, and the ongoing stalemate over the draft law in light of the legal establishment’s position.
Cohen opened by describing the dramatic chain of events in the Knesset, saying the chareidi factions surprised their coalition partners with a coordinated move. “We all saw the messages and attacks between Aryeh Deri and Gafni over religious services, yet at that very moment they were cooperating and deciding to freeze the budget and block the transfer of the Arrangements Law to committee. They informed no one in the coalition except Inbal Mazolai and Uri Maklev, instructing them to announce after midnight that the chareidim were not on board. When the vote stage arrived, the full implications became clear, and the decision was made to pull the vote and delay it until Monday.”
He went on to explain the legal complications preventing progress on the draft law, despite assurances from Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. “Netanyahu claims there is a majority of 61 for the draft law, but the chareidim respond that there is no bill agreed upon by the legal adviser. The situation has become even more complicated because everything is now frozen for technical reasons as well, since a senior official in the Knesset’s legal advisory department who is handling the issue was forced to step aside due to personal circumstances. Every day is critical because the legislation is tied to the budget, and we could reach a point where the chareidim realize there will be no draft law and vote in favor of the budget simply to protect their funding, while simultaneously demanding a bill to dissolve the Knesset.”
Despite the pessimism, Grintzeig stressed that Israeli politics often remain fluid until the final moment. “In Israel, as in Israel, until the 90th minute things can still go either way. If I had to estimate, both the draft law and the budget will pass in the final days before the deadline. The real question is whether, when the clock is ticking, the laws will actually be there. I cautiously think the chances are still high, because the ultimatum directed at Netanyahu is meant to pressure the legal advisers to show flexibility, and that is the real test of this entire episode.”
In closing, Grintzeig sharply criticized the conduct of the judicial system and the attorney general, particularly regarding judicial appointments. “The justice minister is dealing with a legal adviser who never misses an opportunity for confrontation, and in the end the ones who suffer are the citizens in the magistrate and district courts. The attorney general has become a fully political actor, even drawing rebukes from Supreme Court justices for repeatedly losing her own positions. Even the Supreme Court president is emerging as a political figure acting in full public view, unlike his predecessors who operated with far greater sophistication. This has turned the entire system into a frontal clash with the elected leadership.”
{Matzav.com}
