Israel passes budget after 3.5 years, ensures stability of government

The Knesset passed the 2021 state budget into law in a 61-59 vote at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, giving Israel a new budget. Budget For the first time since 15 March 2018.

When the vote was announced, the alliance MK applauded and embraced each other happily. After the vote, MK slept for a few hours and would resume voting on the Economic Order Act and then the 2022 budget later on Thursday.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised the budget’s passage, writing on Twitter that he was proud Israel finally had a budget.

“The citizens of Israel are waking up for the holiday,” he wrote.

The budget was required to be passed into law by November 14 to prevent the Knesset from automatically dispersing, which would have triggered elections in February.

According to the coalition agreement, now that a budget has been passed, if elections for the remainder of the term begin, the caretaker prime minister will be Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and not Bennett.

No mistake was made by the coalition on budget clauses and amendments presented by the opposition in a marathon voting session that lasted overnight.

Netanyahu delivers a speech before the budget vote in Kosset on Wednesday night.  (credit: Mark Israel Salem)Netanyahu delivers a speech before the budget vote in Kosset on Wednesday night. (credit: Mark Israel Salem)

But there were opposition MKs who erroneously voted with the coalition, including opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu who raised his hand in favor of one. Budget At 1 pm, the governing leader Arya Derry also mistakenly voted with the alliance. Netanyahu and Derry are the two most experienced MKs in the Knesset.

Mocking his own wrong vote with the Coalition, Netanyahu wrote on Twitter: “It happens that people get confused when they vote. Ask everyone who voted for Bennett.”

Netanyahu met with different coalition members to persuade them to vote against the budget and topple the government. He clearly did not succeed.

Yamina MK Abir Kara told Army Radio on Thursday that she was approached by officials from the Likud party and other opposition factions and offered almost everything except a rotation. “It’s not flashy. We managed to do the unimaginable with six mandates.”

Not only did all 61 coalition members remain united on Wednesday night, but the joint list announced it would not vote for proposed amendments to Likud and other right-wing parties in opposition, which would make the coalition easier to defeat. Them.