Conspiracy in the coalition again? Depends on who you ask. According to sources in Blue and White, Bnei Gantz gave the green light to fight the economic plan presented by Bennett and Lieberman a week ago at all costs. “They went after us and did not share us. We want to teach that they do not make a huge economic move without a dialogue.” Gantz’s office denies
Blue and white chairman, Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bnei Gantz, has in recent days ordered his party members to speak out against the economic plan to lower the cost of living initiated by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Gantz’s party member, MK Michael Bitton, who heads the Knesset’s Economics Committee, is already threatening to vote against the plan.
Sources in blue and white told time that Bitton spoke with Ganz this week and received a green light for the firm party line until the goals were achieved without compromise. “When you make a big move, you sew it with the faction leaders,” says a senior official in Blue and White. He said: “They went over our heads and did not share us. The lesson we want to teach is not to make a huge economic move without having a conversation about it.”
The coalition estimates that the attack by Blue and White members against the economic plan will intensify, especially the next Monday when the bill anchoring the payment of pensions to permanent employees, which is very important for Bnei Gantz personally, is due to be put to a vote in the Knesset.
A senior government official tells time that “Ganz only deals with things that are important to him. He is killing everyone for the pension law that is only important to him, he has disappeared from the Knesset votes without offsetting and is causing the coalition to lose a lot of votes.”
The Defense Minister’s Office responded to time: “Ganz has repeatedly stated that the economic plan brought by the Minister of Finance is welcome, and supports its expansion mainly for small business owners, the elderly and the weak populations. This is also the position of the Blue and White faction. With all due respect to unknown factors, neither Gantz nor Blue and White stand the test of loyalty – as a central part and as the second largest party in the coalition, Blue and White will continue to speak out, influence, and unlike other parties, stand behind government decisions and coalition positions. them”.
For now, this is about bending hands, the strong man Avigdor Lieberman who has not moved an inch from the goal he sets for himself, in front of Bnei Gantz who since his entry into politics is considered a weak link, as someone who is always looking for a way out of the tree. But it will be interesting to see if his struggle bears fruit and subdues the powerful finance minister who has been here so far.