While chareidi MKs announced they will not permit the passing of the state budget until the draft law is amended, it is unlikely that this is so.

As it appears now, the budget will be voted upon next Wednesday, 6 Kislev and the draft law will not be amended by then, in part due to logistical realities the chareidi lawmakers do not have the power to change.

Talks pertaining to the draft law have been ongoing this week between chareidi lawmakers and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and an amended version of the law may be presented to the cabinet at the weekly meeting on Sunday, 3 Kislev. If approved, it will move to Knesset on Monday, but there is not enough time to pass it into law before Wednesday. In addition, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is abroad and until he returns, certain matters cannot be addressed.

Adding to the woes of chareidi lawmakers, Knesset legal counsel Eyal Yinon that they cannot bring the matter before the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee prior to the second and third readings in Knesset if they were held before Wednesday’s budget vote and that would open the door for challenges from MKs who oppose the amended. Yinon feels if they challenged the bill in court, and this is likely, the fast-track process of bypassing the Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee would not fare well.

It therefore appears the draft bill will only be voted on in Knesset on Monday, 11 Kislev, after the state budget vote.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)