Bennett said set to delay vote on submarine affair inquiry until after budget passes

After Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he has okayed the potential formation of a commission of inquiry into the so-called “Submarine Affair,” the Kan public broadcaster says Prime Minister Naftali Bennett intends to delay the step until after the state budget is approved.

The report says the premier is currently hesitant to call a cabinet vote on the matter since some members of his Yamina party oppose a probe into the major corruption scandal, which has ensnared many associates of Benjamin Netanyahu, but not the former prime minister himself.

Bennett would presumably be more willing to hold such a vote after the approval of the budget — a move that must be made by next month to prevent the current government from automatically dissolving.

The diverse right-center-left-Islamist coalition only has a razor-thin parliamentary majority, and Bennett would want to avoid raising contentious issues that could cause friction ahead of the budget’s approval.