Ex-Treasury chief blames own party leader Netanyahu, Gantz for lack of budget

Likud MK Israel Katz, the previous finance minister, blames ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz for the failure of their short-lived power-sharing government to pass a budget.

“Because of Bibi and Gantz there is no budget, because their agreement included an insane clause that said if the budget does not pass there is no rotation [of the premiership],” Katz tells Radio 103FM, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

A failure to pass a budget was the sole scenario under the coalition deal between Likud and Gantz’s Blue and White under which Netanyahu would not have to step aside as premier if new elections were called.

Katz says Gantz’s insistence that a two-year budget be passed — as agreed in the coalition deal — “ensnared” the budget.

“The political paralysis prevented the passage of the budget,” he says.