Likud and Blue and White say Sunday cabinet meeting canceled, blame each other

Netanyahu’s Likud party and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White faction both say that Sunday’s cabinet meeting is canceled and cast blame on each other, in what appears to be a new low for the crumbling governing coalition.

“The cabinet meeting will not convene tomorrow due to Blue and White’s refusals to put on the agenda a government economic assistance plan, by the prime minister and finance minister, to cope with the coronavirus crisis and amounting to NIS 8.5 billion, which includes assistance for at-risk groups” the Likud party writes on Twitter.

“The plan will create around 10,000 new jobs in the economy,” it adds. “Likud demands from Blue and White to not prevent the transfer of funds to the citizens of Israel at this time, when coping with the coronavirus crisis.”

Netanyahu shares the tweets on his official Twitter page.

Blue and White responds to the charge, saying in a statement, “The cabinet meeting tomorrow will not take place due to Likud’s insistence on not adhering to the coalition agreement.”

“This is not the first time Likud has not stood by its commitments, and every other excuse is a complete lie to the Israeli public,” it says. “As for the finance minister’s plan, it is a multi-billion shekel, long-term plan that has not yet been fully presented and is not yet finalized. Attempting to put it forward between today and tomorrow is nothing more than irresponsible spin.”

Talk of a new round of elections, which would be the fourth in under two years, is at a fever pitch as Likud and Blue and White remain mired in an impasse over the state budget.