Gantz meets with treasury chief for high-stakes budget talks

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has begun a meeting with Finance Minister Yisrael Katz to solve a budget impasse that may lead to early elections.

Gantz has threatened to dissolve the Knesset and call new elections, which will occur in any case if the sides do not pass a 2020 budget by December 23 at midnight.

He has demanded a two-year budget covering 2020 and 2021, as agreed to in coalition talks, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud allies, including Katz, say a 2020 budget is as far as they can look ahead, given the pandemic.

According to Kan news, Gantz is open to compromise in order to avoid early elections, which would be Israel’s fourth in under two years.