Israel at risk of fourth election as Netanyahu-Gantz coalition tussles with budget bill

Israeli lawmakers voted in favour of dissolving the current parliament on Wednesday, December 2. The vote, which is not final and requires several more readings, has pushed the nation to the brink of a fourth election in less than two years. 

The move came after the former opposition leader Benny Gantz in a televised speech on Tuesday night accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of focusing only on his political gains and depriving the country of stability amid an unprecedented economic crippling in the face of the pandemic. As per reports, the preliminary bill to dissolve the parliament earned 61 votes, with 54 lawmakers voting against it.

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Coalition Faultlines

Gantz, who serves as defence minister in Netanyahu's government, is miffed with the Israeli prime minister over the national budget bill which has been pending in the parliament ever since the Netanyahu-Gantz coalition government assumed office in May.

While Gantz blasted Netanyahu on national television as the leader who "sabotages his own country’s budget", the Israeli prime minister called unity in the Twitter video and said that now wasn't the time for elections. 

Gantz's open rebellion highlights the widening cracks in Israel's ruling coalition which has been plagued with mistrust and infighting right from the start. Under the terms of the coalition, Netanyahu is to serve as prime minister for the first half of the government after which Gantz will take the leadership role for the remainder of a three-year term.

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The unusual coalition between rival leaders was seen as a means to end a looming political crisis amid the pandemic after three back-to-back elections failed to produce a clear winner. However, the stability of the centre-right coalition remained fraught. 

As per reports, opposition voices in Israel have expressed that Netanyahu never intended to hand over the prime minister's office to Gantz and another round of elections is inevitable. Netanyahu-critics in the Israeli media have sympathised with the opposition for being the victim of a sophisticated political sting operation and warned against future misadventures.

Meanwhile, Isreal has witnessed mass protests against the government over coronavirus lockdowns and economic hardships. In addition to that, Netanyahu's popularity has also taken a serious hit with a series of corruption investigations against him.

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