What will it take to pass Israel's budget? – Timeline

Here is a timeline of this upcoming week's sessions at the Knesset to get the state budget passed.

 Israeli parliament members during a plenum session and a vote on the state budget at the assembly hall in the Israeli parliament, Jerusalem, September 2, 2021.  (photo credit: OLIVER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Israeli parliament members during a plenum session and a vote on the state budget at the assembly hall in the Israeli parliament, Jerusalem, September 2, 2021.
(photo credit: OLIVER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Monday, 10 a.m.: Knesset plenum convenes, starting six hours early with no-confidence motions filed by the opposition on the “cruel budget that helps the rich and harms the poor and the periphery.”

The coalition decided to boycott the no-confidence votes to protest the opposition’s violation of the tradition of refraining from no-confidence votes while the prime minister is abroad.

Deputy Knesset speakers David Bitan (Likud) and Ya’acov Margi (Shas) wrote to Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy on Sunday protesting the early start time of the plenum.

David Bitan in Knesset on February 5, 2018. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
David Bitan in Knesset on February 5, 2018. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

Tuesday, 9 a.m.: State budget formally submitted and Knesset debate begins. The opposition wants to filibuster on the budget, but the coalition will try to limit the opposition, using parliamentary maneuvers. Likud MK Shlomo Karhi has asked the Knesset’s legal adviser to require that the debate go on for a minimum 72 hours.

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.: Debate set to conclude with speeches by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Knesset Finance Committee chairman Alex Kushnir. The voting will begin immediately after those speeches and is set to continue nonstop for some 36 hours. The economic arrangements bill, which contains key reforms, will be passed first, followed by the state budget for 2021 and 2022.

Friday: Knesset set to complete passing the state budget into law for the first time since March 15, 2018.