Likud and Blue and White are sparing no effort to compromise on the state budget so as to avoid dragging the country through a fourth consecutive election campaign on two years, political insiders told Israel Hayom Thursday.
The unity government partners have been locking horns over the question of whether to pass a one-year or two-year budget for weeks.
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Blue and White demand that Likud endorse a biennial budget, as stipulated in the coalition agreement, but Netanyahu prefers a single-year budget.
Under Israeli law, if a government is unable to pass the annual budget within 100 days of its formation the Knesset must dissolve and new elections must be held.
This had originally meant the vote on the state budget, regardless of its nature, had to be held by Aug. 24, but earlier this week, the coalition was able to push through a bill that would allow the cabinet a 200-day period to approve a state budget.
The bill, however, still has to pass its second and third readings in the Knesset, which still faces the possibility of its term ending on Aug. 25.
Political insiders told Israel Hayom that senior officials from both parties have been meeting to discuss issues that have been impeding the government's work, including the state budget, government bylaws, and senior nominations such as that of the attorney general and the state attorney.
Likud officials said the party will no longer insist on a one-year budget if Blue and White agrees to allow it to control the Civil Service Nomination Committee.
Sources involved in the negotiations said that the atmosphere between the parties is good.
"There is a true desire to find a solution, which you couldn't necessarily say two weeks ago. There is a chance that a compromise will be found in the coming days," he said.
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