The unity government formed by the Likud and Blue & White parties may have claimed to be built on the principles of parity and equality, but due to a maneuver by Likud, its bloc actually has more ministers than Blue & White, allowing it to pass any decision it wants.
Even if Israel does go to the polls for the fourth time in less than two years, Likud would still have a majority of ministers in the transitional government and able to pass any decision - regardless of opposition from Blue & White.
This is the reason why Blue & White insists on approving the terms of the government, the only document that can anchor into law the system of parity agreed between Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu (the prime minister) and Blue & White head Benny Gantz (the prime minister in waiting).
On Saturday, amid growing tensions between the two parties, the weekly cabinet meeting that was supposed to take place on Sunday was canceled.
The Likud blamed the cancellation on a "Blue& White refusal to put the economic aid program on the agenda."
Blue & White hit back by saying: "This is not the first time that the Likud has failed to fulfill its commitments, and any other excuse is a total lie to the Israeli public."
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Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu signing the coalition agreement in April
(Photo: Archive)
The change in the allocation of ministers occurred after the coalition agreement was signed in April. The Likud then asked to temporarily appoint three more ministers in order to silence protests within the party due to the agreement and a lackluster distribution of ministerial posts compared to Blue & White.
Blue & White agreed to the move, but those three ministers are still in post four months later, and the rules and regulations for the government have still not been approved.
Blue & White says that Likud has consistently deliberately avoided bringing these regulations for approval, while Likud claims that the draft of terms put together by Blue & White is unacceptable.
In any case, the controversy over the issue, which also led to the cancellation of Sunday's cabinet meeting, adds to the massive row over the state budget as well as claims that Netanyahu has not fulfilled his side of the coalition agreement and has no intention of honoring the prime ministerial rotation that would see him step down in October 2021 for Gantz to take the role.
This is also the reason, according to Blue and White, that the prime minister insists on an annual budget (that would expire at the end of 2020), which will allow him to dissolve the Knesset in a few months, before submitting the next budget.
Blue & White's Agriculture Minister Alon Schuster pulled no punches out on Twitter on Sunday morning over the decision to cancel the cabinet meeting.
"The cabinet has not convened because Blue & White insists on economic and political stability - a budget until the end of 2021 and an egalitarian government whose primary interest is the good of the Israeli people, not personal considerations that lead to elections in the midst of a crisis," he wrote.
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Benjamin Netanyahu talks with his lawyers in Jerusalem District Court during his corruption trial
(Photo: Amti Shabi)
Likud officials believe that Netanyahu will spend the next few days examining the possibility of forming a new government of 61 Knesset members (one more than half of the 120 lawmakers) without having to dissolve parliament.
Blue & White, on the other hand, has been dealing over the last two days with new-old pressures to pass anti-corruption legislation that will prevent a criminal defendant from forming a government.
The legislation is aimed at blocking Netanyahu from becoming prime minister after the upcoming elections.
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Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz during a political partnership that ended when Gantz joined the Netanyahu government
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
While Blue & White has not formed an opinion on the legislation, Meretz chair Nitzan Horowitz has already announced that he will present the bill to the Knesset in the coming days.
The Yesh Atid party, headed by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, has also announced it will table the bill if Israel is indeed marching towards elections and expects erstwhile political partner Blue & White to support it.