PM says he wants ‘excellent coalition’ to last ‘almost until the end of the term’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells coalition leaders that he would like his government to stay intact “almost until the end of the term.”

If no early elections are called, the vote is slated to take place on November 19, 2019.

The prime minister referred to his coalition as an “excellent” one.

Also in the meeting, Netanyahu quarrels with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon after asking him to pass legislation granting mandatory arbitration to employees in the event of a labor dispute.

“Even your own party, they would not let you pass such legislation,” Kahlon shoots back, evidently frustrated that the prime minister was passing on responsibility for the legislation on his office.

“You are a philosopher who can only talk and let others do your work for you. You have been prime minister for ten years and four years before that. And you will be in another twenty years – and you still will never actually do anything,” he adds.

Netanyahu avoids getting into a shouting match with the minister, simply responding that other coalition leaders have prevented passing such legislation in the past, but he would like to give it another go.