Likud, Blue and White trade barbs as budget deadline ticks closer

The Likud and Blue and White parties snipe at each other amid an ongoing coalition crisis that could bring down the government if a new budget isn’t passed by August 25.

“Blue and White is again fighting the government while Prime Minister Netanyahu is fighting the coronavirus,” Likud says in a statement. “Blue and White must stop hampering the prime minister [from] passing a budget and open the school year on time.”

Hitting back, Blue and White accuses Likud of maneuvering for new elections.

“Likud is violating its promise for unity and stability, and everyday is searching for a new excuse for elections,” Blue and White writes on its Twitter feed.

The coalition infighting has centered on the passage of the state budget. Blue and White says the budget must run through 2021, as the parties agreed to in their coalition deal, while Netanyahu is calling for it to cover the rest of 2020 alone, citing the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reports, however, have said Netanyahu is demanding Blue and White agree to several changes to the coalition deal on matters unrelated to the budget as a condition for keeping the government intact.