JERUSALEM, Dec 23 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s Knesset (parliament) was dissolved last night, amid a political crisis between Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, triggering the fourth elections in two years.
The Knesset was automatically dissolved, after the government failed to approve the 2020 budget, by midnight. Knesset Speaker, Yariv Levin, adjourned the last Knesset session and called on lawmakers to “avoid incitement” during the upcoming campaigns.
The next elections are scheduled to take place, Mar 23.
Netanyahu and his coalition partner and rival, Gantz, accused each other of triggering the early elections.
Earlier last night, Netanyahu blamed Gantz for backtracking on a deal, to postpone the approval of the budget. He also vowed to win the elections with “a landslide victory.”
Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, accused Netanyahu of “acting criminally, by failing to bring the state budget for the approval of the government, over more than six months.”
He said Netanyahu violated their power-sharing coalition agreement, in order to foil an expected rotation, under which Gantz would have replaced Netanyahu as prime minister. He said, Netanyahu was motivated by “narrow, personal, and legal reasons.”
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing growing public anger, over his handling of the COVID-19 crisis and the ensuing economic crisis. He is also facing a criminal trial, over corruption charges in three separate cases.
Netanyahu and Gantz formed their power-sharing government, after no candidate had gained enough votes to form a government in the Mar, 2020 elections.– NNN-MA’AN
