The Israeli Knesset is dissolved and elections are called

Jerusalem: The Israeli Knesset was dissolved at midnight Wednesday, calling for new national elections after members of parliament failed to approve the general budget.

Israeli officials had until 23:59 local time (21.59 GMT) on Tuesday to approve the budget and avoid holding new elections, which would be the fourth in nearly two years, but a compromise solution that led to dissolution was rejected. of the Knesset.

The dispute was not between the government and the opposition, but between partners in the “unity and emergency” government that was formed in the spring by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former electoral rival Benny, the centrist Gantz.

This coalition government, which resembles a broken marriage, has been slowly for weeks on its way to collapse. According to his training agreement, he had until midnight on Tuesday Wednesday to approve the 2020 budget.

Gantz, a former army general, accused Netanyahu of refusing to approve the budget for personal political reasons.

The three-year coalition agreement between them stipulates that Netanyahu will serve as prime minister for 18 months, and Gantz, the current deputy prime minister, will take office in November 2021.

Gantz insisted that the coalition must pass a two-year budget, including 2021, on the pretext that Israel needs stability after the worst political crisis in its history and the destruction of its economy due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

Netanyahu refused to approve the 2021 budget. His opponents said it was an open political tactic to keep the coalition in an unstable state, making it easier for him to overthrow the government before being forced to hand over power to Gantz.