The Knesset approved the bill to postpone the approval of the state budget by 120 days

The Knesset plenum this evening (Monday) approved the bill to postpone the approval of the state budget by 120 days. The proposal was approved with the support of 67 MKs, including the Likud and Blue and White, compared to 37 opponents. As a result, the Knesset will not be dissolved and a fourth election campaign will be prevented within two years.
According to the bill, the determining date for approving the budget will be December 23. NIS 11 billion will be added to the state budget for 2020, and the total updated budget is NIS 411 billion. The addition will be used, among other things, for yeshivot and kollels, for the educational programs of the Hila Project and the Karb Foundation, and more.
A few minutes after the start of voting, Deputy Prime Minister Bnei Gantz left the plenum when he noticed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present. Shortly afterwards, slightly late, the prime minister went to the polls. Outside the plenum, Netanyahu said: "I do not remember talking about Ganz as they talk about me, but it is time to join hands."
In a statement issued before the vote, Ganz said that "God forbid we get to the election, more blood will be shed here." He clarified that "I will not let anyone threaten Israel in the elections. I entered the government to deal with the reality and future of the citizens of Israel, but I will never allow anyone to crumble democracy. I will not allow anyone to appoint puppets to public positions as he saw fit.
Just before Gantz's statement, Netanyahu announced that he had decided to support the promotion of the law to postpone the approval of the budget in the second and third readings. "I instructed Likud members to vote in favor of postponing the budget," he said.
The initiator of the compromise proposal, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz), welcomed the support of Netanyahu and Gantz. "We stopped the madness and again prevented elections," Hauser said. "We congratulate all parts of the coalition that have announced their support for the Derech Eretz law to prevent a fourth election. Disputes can be resolved in the coming months, trust restored and unified in the face of economic and health security challenges."
Along with the attempts to reach agreements, the two parties continued today in the accusation games. Sources in blue and white said that "the Likud is trying to freeze this morning the senior appointments in the government and refuse to discuss any other issue, such as the bylaws. No negotiations are taking place other than the Likud's new demand."
In response, the Likud attacked that "Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the attorneys who met with Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber to say that he would not interfere in the appointment of the Attorney General, the State Attorney and the Commissioner." Prime Minister Netanyahu made the remarks yesterday in a statement to the media. "Blue and white's claims are nothing more than an idle excuse to run away from the Hauser compromise and drag the country to the polls."
According to the bill, the determining date for approving the budget will be December 23. NIS 11 billion will be added to the state budget for 2020, and the total updated budget is NIS 411 billion. The supplement will be used, among other things, for meetings and kollels, for educational programs.
A few minutes after the start of voting, Deputy Prime Minister Bnei Gantz left the plenum when he noticed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present. Shortly afterwards, slightly late, the prime minister went to the polls. Outside the plenum, Netanyahu said: "I do not remember talking about Gantz as they talk about me, but it is time to join hands."
Gantz asked the Likud for the absence of a blue-and-white vote stating that the rotation agreement with Netanyahu would be honored. Despite the absence, the reservations were not accepted.
In a statement issued before the vote, Ganz said that "God forbid we get to the election, more blood will be shed here." He clarified that "I will not let anyone threaten Israel in the elections. I entered the government to deal with the reality and future of the citizens of Israel, but I will never allow anyone to crumble democracy. I will not allow anyone to appoint puppets to public positions as he wishes."
Just before Gantz's statement, Netanyahu announced that he had decided to support the promotion of the law to postpone the approval of the budget in the second and third readings. "I instructed Likud members to vote in favor of postponing the budget," he said.
The initiator of the compromise proposal, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz), welcomed the support of Netanyahu and Gantz. "We stopped the madness and again prevented elections," Hauser said. "We congratulate all parts of the coalition that have announced their support for the Derech Eretz law to prevent a fourth election. Disputes can be resolved in the coming months, trust restored and unified in the face of economic and health security challenges."
At a meeting of his faction earlier today, the chairman of the opposition, MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), attacked the prime minister and his conduct during the corona crisis. "I want to summarize the events of the last day: for a hundred days, Benjamin Netanyahu failed. Failed to treat the disease. Failed to treat the economy. Failed to run the government. 36 detached and 16 detached deputies gave themselves another 120 days. Do not even pretend to do anything else , "Said Lapid.
"Another 120 days without a budget. Another 120 days with the disaster called the outbreak plan. Without an orderly plan of returning to school. During an extreme economic and health crisis, the Israeli government decided that its only plan was to postpone everything for 120 days, "Lapid continued." During an extreme health and economic crisis, Netanyahu continues to do one thing: politics. Managed to crush the unfortunate blue and white who just made the mistake and believed him. Thought he cared about something other than himself. "Sign an agreement now, which is intended to resolve the fact that Netanyahu simply ignored the previous agreement he signed."

Photo: Knesset Chanel