The state budget is expected to be voted on this week in second and third readings - and as of this writing, Prime Minister Netanyahu does not have 61 guaranteed fingers.
Senior Likud officials believe that eventually the crises with Goldknopf and Ben-Gvir will be resolved, and the budget will pass with the understanding that no one is interested in elections. The main problem is that in order to add budgets, this must be discussed in the Finance Committee, and the concern is that they will not be able to do so in time. In any case, if the budget is not passed by May 29, the Knesset will automatically dissolve.
The most acute crisis is with Agudat Israel. The Hasidic faction, headed by Goldknopf, explicitly threatens that if they do not receive NIS 600 million retroactively from the beginning of 2023 to the exemption institutions (which do not teach core) and scholarships, as promised to them in the coalition agreements, they will not support the budget. As of the proposal that has already been approved by the Finance Committee, the education and yeshiva budgets are calculated starting in June, and not from the beginning of the year.
Goldknopf. Threatening to vote against the budget, photo: Jonathan Shaul
The faction even threatens that if they do not receive the budgets, Goldknopf or Porosh will resign from their ministerial positions and return to being MKs, having resigned under Norwegian law. Thus, Agudat Israel will have four fingers that will not support the budget, which means that Netanyahu will not have 61.
Agudat Yisrael explains that Netanyahu's problem is not with the politicians, but with the Rebbe. Coalition sources say the compromise will likely revolve around providing only education budgets, which are at the core of the crisis. That's about half the amount demanded by the faction.
Will Ben-Gvir compromise?
In Finance Minister Smotrich's talks with coalition officials, he adamantly refuses, calling the possibility of reopening the budget "suicide." Agudat Yisrael says: "They keep telling us, 'Is this what you're going to topple a right-wing government on?' They asked us to give up and soften the chametz law, then we waived the Deri law, the override clause was also dropped from the agenda, and we even gave up on the request to pass the draft law with the budget. So why are we sitting in the government if we're told 'you can't' on everything?!"
Israel Hayom learned that Netanyahu tried to convey a message in a meeting with Agudat Yisrael officials. "I don't have full control over the finance minister, he's not from the Likud," he said, trying to explain that the responsibility lies with Smotrich, who will also not be willing to be forced to take action. Netanyahu's office denies the quote attributed to him. During the meeting, it was also discussed that it was a mistake to appoint a finance minister who was not from the Likud, in light of crises of this kind.
Ben Gvir. Will get the extra?, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Ben-Gvir heard similar things from the prime minister. The chairman of Otzma Yehudit does not clearly threaten not to support the budget, and he remains vague. So far, however, Otzma Yehudit has carried out its threats. Ben-Gvir is not willing to go over the agenda with this, claiming that Smotrich transferred large budgets to the national-religious sector alone through Strzok's office, but did not give it to the Negev and Galilee. "Smotrich became finance minister over the votes of the Negev and Galilee," Otzma Yehudit sources said. "It can't operate only sectorally."
Ben-Gvir's party has two approaches. Strategist Nevo Cohen says that if they do not accept all their demands for an additional NIS 700 million for the Negev and Galilee, there is nothing to talk about with the government. Ben-Gvir's chief of staff, Hanmal Dorfman, believes that 350 million can also be compromised. Smotrich's party rejects Ben-Gvir's claims, explaining that he received a billion shekels for the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, and even more.
Avi Maoz. Still not wanted, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Naam's chairman, Avi Maoz, also joined the celebration. He sent a letter to the cabinet secretary, saying that if the government did not approve the budget for the Jewish identity authority as promised, he would actively oppose the budget and vote against it.
According to the planned schedule, the budget discussion will begin on Monday and voting will begin on Tuesday at 20:30 p.m. The intention is to pass the budget by Wednesday evening, before Shavuot. If they are not enough, they will continue on Sunday.
Yehuda Schlesinger participated in the preparation of the report
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