Israel’s coalition Knesset members were acting like elementary school children on Tuesday, hiding out in their cars and even in those of others, before rushing into the building to cast their votes to reject a bill that might have allowed Israel to avoid a fourth election.
The bill failed and a deferred state budget deadline, which would have saved the day, was rejected by the Knesset plenum.
Some background for those who have not been keeping track: The last official, full budget was passed during 2018, for the 2019 fiscal year. After that, there were three national elections, and we are now working on Number Four, which is likely to take place on March 23, 2021, less than two years after the first.
Because a state budget was not passed by midnight Tuesday, the current government now becomes a “transitional government” until the next election.
The typical backbiting comments between the two coalition partners, Likud and Blue & White, that went into passing the interim budget resolution, were particularly vicious, but resulted in both supporting the measure. They are not included here because frankly, they are irrelevant. And mean.
An interim financial package presented as a “continuing budget” measure was approved by the cabinet.
By midnight Tuesday, the Knesset automatically dissolves and the country once again is forced to endure another round of whining and posturing by politicians creating new political parties, and seasoned professionals who attempt to freshen up the stale image of long-haul parties inevitably starting to fade on the vine.
While all of this is going on, meanwhile, Israel’s COVID-19 crisis hasn’t slowed down at all, nor has the need for the diplomatic efforts to secure peace deals with additional Arab states in the region prior to January 20, when US President-elect Joe Biden will enter the White House.
Peace Talks in Rabat
On Tuesday evening US, Israeli and Moroccan officials signed agreements in Rabat during their first meeting in the Moroccan capital city, agreeing to deepen ties between the Jewish State and the North African kingdom by reopening their mutual liaison offices as soon as possible, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
“The two agreed that this was a new chapter in the relations between the nations, based on hundreds of years of deep ties,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.
“At the meeting, [the] director-general of the Foreign Ministry discussed the great emotion in Israel about the renewed ties between the two countries and the influence that the two societies had on one another.”