Hendel, Hauser to submit bill to delay budget deadline, prevent going to elections

MKs to request exemption from 45-day debate delay

Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel (Derech Eretz) and his party colleague MK Zvi Hauser intend to submit legislation to the Knesset this week that will postpone the deadline for approval of the state budget.

The budget must be approved by the Knesset by August 25, with failure to so leading to the automatic dissolution of the Knesset and new elections.

A fight between the Likud and Blue and White over whether to pass a one-or twoyear budget is now threatening to torpedo the chance of passing any budget by the deadline.

To avoid another round of elections, Hendel and Hauser planned to submit their bill either Sunday or Monday. They want it to receive both an exemption from the 45-day delay usually required from the time of submission to the time the Knesset can debate the bill.

Consent for this exemption will be needed from the government and ultimately the prime minister.

The two MKs said if the exemption request was rejected, it would effectively signal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants new elections, since there would not be enough time to pass the legislation and delay the budget deadline without it.

The coalition agreement between Blue and White and Likud states explicitly that a two-year budget must be passed. But Netanyahu is insisting on passing just a oneyear budget.

Passing a one-year budget is Netanyahu’s only opportunity to topple the government without passing the premiership over to Gantz, something that could happen if a budget for 2021 is not passed by the end of March.

A spokesman for the prime minister declined to say whether Netanyahu would support the bill and its expedited legislative process.