Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz had until midnight on Aug. 24 to reach a compromise on state budget. Failure to reach one would mean that the Knesset would be dispersed and new elections announced. At last moment, the two partners and rivals indeed reached a compromise, staving off the deadline for another four months.
But the compromise is bad news for the premier. If Gantz takes over from Netanyahu in November 2021 as per their coalition agreement, it would be due to this compromise. Gantz’ prospects of becoming prime minister have just grown.