An ongoing dispute between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon over the closure of Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), to be replaced by the new Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) has escalated and according to some, threatens the future of the coalition.

In the latest round, the prime minister called on Kahlon to delay the move, which Kahlon feels is being done to place him in the ‘bad guy’ position and then become the target of the anger of those who are going to lose their jobs.

The tension has reached the point that Deri is quoted issuing a warning during a cabinet meeting, that he will not remain in a dysfunctional government in which one destroys the other, adding “It is better to go leave the coalition”.

Kahlon fired back at PM Netanyahu that he is no longer in Likud and he will not permit Mr. Netanyahu to do this to him. Deri stated coalitions break up over little things like this and not big things, and it is most unfortunate that this continues to escalate.

While Mr. Netanyahu is releasing messages of calm, Kahlon told participants in a Tel Aviv Conference that “Netanyahu and Kahlon is no longer”.

The new IPBC entity is scheduled to being broadcasting in April.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)