Budget, conscription crisis in Israel threatens to unravel Netanyahu’s government, hold early elections

OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Jan. 19 (YPA) – Hebrew media outlets revealed that the ruling right-wing coalition in the occupying state is facing an extremely difficult political test, amid escalating disputes over the budget law and the mandatory conscription law, threatening the dissolution of the Knesset and early elections.

According to the Knesset’s legal advisor, passing the budget requires a period of at least 60 days between the first and second and third readings. This makes the failure to pass it soon a legal obstacle to its adoption before the March 31 deadline, which would automatically bring down the government.

The Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported that the ultra-Orthodox factions refuse to support the budget unless a law is passed exempting yeshiva students from military service, depriving Netanyahu’s government of the necessary majority even to pass the first reading.

For its part, the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot quoted Finance Ministry officials warning that failure to pass the budget in the coming days would lead to the dissolution of the Knesset and early elections within about 90 days, likely to be held at the beginning of July instead of their legally mandated date in October.