‘Netanyahu may seek early elections,’ say Likud officials

Tensions within the Israeli political sphere are on the rise, due to growing suspicions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon announce early elections.

Netanyahu was slated to meet the heads of the different coalition parties on Tuesday to discuss the national budget for the upcoming year. According to assessments, many don’t believe Netanyahu will be able to pass the budget with the current coalition, making early elections a viable option.

Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said on Monday that a decision on elections will be finalized before the opening of the Knesset winter session next week. Officials within Likud claim that Netanyahu may announce make an announcement as early as Tuesday about moving the elections up to January, after he meets with leaders of United Torah Judaism, Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman and MK Moshe Gafni. These claims, however, were not confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Over the past few days, Netanyahu has met with several party leaders, namely, Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas), Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz (New National Religious Party), Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) and Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Independence).

Following their meetings with Netanyahu, most of the party leaders expressed that February elections would be more reasonable than to try to pass a budget with the current coalition.

Shas officials said that since the elections are scheduled to take place within a few months, they would rather not support the current budget. If Shas continues to resist passing the budget, Netanyahu may very well announce early elections.

„The proposed austerity budget is very severe, and includes social benefits and National Insurance cuts,” said a top Shas official. „This is something Shas cannot live with this, particularly during an election year.”

Sources in the Likud said, „Netanyahu could still decide not to go to early elections and reevaluate the situation together with the other coalition party leaders. This is especially true since Netanyahu will most likely lead the next government, as well.”

According to these same sources, „Netanyahu has come to the conclusion that the best thing for him is to move up the elections and receive a new stamp of approval from the people, instead of dragging on (in the current government) for a few more months.”